Extra shelter is being provided for people rough sleeping in the city during this winter. Starting from this weekend (7 March), a winter weekend shelter will be open for people who need it.
This is separate from the SWEP (severe weather emergency protocol shelter) which opens when the temperatures drop, providing shelter at Brighton Town Hall.
The winter weekend shelter will open on Saturday and Sunday nights when SWEP is not available. It will have the same hours of 7pm to 7am as SWEP and a hot meal will be provided.
The shelter will be open for all who need it at the Brighthelm Centre on North Road. The entrance to the shelter will be at the back of the building.
All local support services and organisations helping people who are rough sleeping will be given information on whether SWEP or the winter weekend shelter will be open each weekend.
Outreach workers will also be out in the city letting people know where they can go for shelter.
We will update our help for people rough sleeping webpage every Friday to say which service will be running each weekend.
Councillor Nichole Brennan, lead for rough sleeping, said: “This will make a big difference to some of our most vulnerable residents.
"We have lowered our trigger for SWEP in recent years, opened a 365 day a year night shelter at the end of last year and now added this service to help make sure people are kept safe from the cold.
"For more long term solutions we are committed to delivering new housing in the city and supporting those who need help to stay in their homes when times are challenging.”
The winter weekend shelter is due to run every weekend it is needed until 29 March 2020.
