THERE have been no regular rough sleepers noted on the streets or in the parks of the town in the first part of the year, a report will tell councillors.

And it adds no children in Swindon are living in a bed and breakfast as temporary accommodation.

The report to the council’s adult’s health, care and housing scrutiny committee will say: “On average 70 households per month are successfully prevented from becoming homeless, 40 former rough sleepers remain in accommodation and no children are accommodated in bed and breakfast.

"On a regular basis no rough sleepers are recorded as sleeping rough in Swindon in the first part of 2021. Despite Covid-19 restrictions The Haven remains operational for daytime support activities for the homeless.”

It adds the council has received a homelessness prevention grant of £1.9m for this financial year – an increase of £200,000 on last year’s grant – another £100,000 has been put towards emergency accommodation during the pandemic and £25,000 has been awarded in cold weather costs.

The council hopes to received another £500,000 for its rough sleeper initiative for this year.

Since 2017 the local authority has been buying houses and flats to help prevent homelessness and to alleviate housing waiting lists. A further £8m has been allocated in the year’s budget for that purpose, and another 10 properties are being bought as “move-on accommodation” for those recently having to sleep rough.

Council monitoring shows that 82 per cent of Swindon’s homeless population are white English or British, with five per cent being black British and four percent British Asian.