Rough Sleepers
Some people sleep rough sleep on the streets or elsewhere outside as they do not have access to any form of temporary or permanent accommodation.
Rough sleeping exists as the most serious form of homelessness and if you are concerned about a person sleeping rough, call the Council’s Housing Options and Advice team on 01322 343114, or contact Porchlight below.
Porchlight
Porchlight is a Kent based charity helping vulnerable and homeless people to access housing and other support services.
If you are homeless, in temporary accommodation, sofa surfing, facing eviction or know anyone who is please call the Kent Outreach Service free phone helpline on 0800 567 7699
For details of your local drop-in please visit www.porchlight.org.uk
Severe weather emergency protocol for rough sleepers (SWEP)
During periods of extreme cold weather, the Council operates a Severe Weather Emergency protocol (SWEP) which is triggered when the night time temperature is predicted to be zero degrees Celsius or below for three consecutive nights.
When the protocol is triggered, the Council will provide emergency accommodation for any person sleeping rough in the district so that it can prevent unnecessary deaths during the cold snap.
