Rough sleeping in Newport can be ended after the coronavirus crisis, homeless support charities have said.
The majority of rough sleepers across the city and Gwent have been homed amid the pandemic, after councils were given money by the Welsh Government to provide bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation.
Charities have been working with Newport City Council and Gwent Police to find suitable housing and to provide three meals a day, seven days a week, to those in emergency accommodation.
Newport council’s housing team says it is dealing with “unprecedented levels of demand”, as the virus impacts on people’s lives, jobs and tenancies.
Together with The Wallich, Pobl, Eden Gate, the Salvation Army, the Olive Branch and Gwent Police, it is helping to deliver three meals a day to around 50 people in emergency accommodation across the city.
Marc Hepton, operations manager at Eden Gate, said the charity is providing 50 evening meals, three days a week as part of the effort, with food provided by the Salvation Army.
The Wallich and the Olive Branch are also working to provide meals at other times, ensuring those in temporary accommodation get three meals a day, seven days a week.
This includes two hot meals, at breakfast and lunch, with sandwiches and cake provided in the evening.
“The demand is great and there are challenges,” Mr Hepton said.
“But I think the key thing is that Eden Gate and our partners are doing all we can to help people during this time.”
Since the Welsh Government made £10 million available to councils in Wales to buy up emergency accommodation, most rough sleepers across Newport and Gwent have been homed.
And Mr Hepton says there is now an opportunity to end rough sleeping in the city.
“I think there is a really great opportunity to end rough sleeping in Newport, but whether we end homelessness, that remains to be seen,” he said.
“But there is certainly a great opportunity to end rough sleeping.”
Gareth Jones, area manager of south east Wales for The Wallich, said the focus is now “turning towards sustainability.”
“We were facing a national homelessness emergency before the pandemic and we cannot let people currently in accommodation go back to rough sleeping when this is over,” he said.
“We’d like to see this positive momentum continued to make sure we don’t return to the same numbers of people on the streets as before.”
Jan Sutcliffe, a community assistant at Newport’s Salvation Army, said she also hopes the crisis will bring about a change.
“It’s amazing how accommodation can be found now, with the situation we are in, but why has it not happened before?” she said.
“I hope it can continue.”
The charity has been working with supermarkets to provide food to be delivered to those in temporary accommodation, as well as other vulnerable people who live alone.
Tariq Khan, founder and managing director of Feed Newport C.I.C, said some of those placed in temporary accommodation are now being found permanent homes.
One man who has been sleeping rough for more than nine years has been re-housed into a flat, Mr Khan said.
The charity is also distributing food to those in temporary accommodation, as well as working with some who are still sleeping rough in the city.
A spokeswoman for Newport council said finding temporary accommodation is “a complex undertaking as the majority of this small group of individuals have chaotic lives and significant issues in addition to being homeless.”
“As well as finding them somewhere to stay and organising the provision of three meals a day, we are also ensuring that they have the necessary support professional health, medication and substance abuse services,” she said.
“Toiletries and clothes are also being given if required.
“Leaflets detailing the range of support available are being put into breakfast packs and contact details made available for GP, MIND and mental health services.
“We have also engaged live-in managers for bed and breakfast accommodation.”
