The Mayor of London, , has today activated the
pan-London Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP) for the
first time this winter to protect homeless people as temperatures
are forecast to fall below 0°C this weekend.
The activation of SWEP compels councils across London (alongside
homelessness charities) to open emergency accommodation for
people who are sleeping rough during weather conditions that
could pose a threat to life.
To avoid the risk of Covid infections, the Mayor has asked
boroughs that only single-occupancy accommodation such as hotel
rooms be used for SWEP provision this year.
All London councils have also committed to implementing the
Mayor’s ‘In for Good’ principle, meaning that once someone has
accessed SWEP accommodation, they are accommodated until a
support plan is in place to end their rough sleeping - regardless
of whether the temperature has risen above freezing.
The Mayor of London, said: “Once again
far too many people are facing the first cold snap of the winter
on the streets of the capital, without the safe, secure
accommodation that should be the basic right of every Londoner.
“Across London, we will do everything we can to protect rough
sleepers in these freezing conditions. I know London’s councils
and charities will also be working tirelessly over the weekend to
help the most vulnerable amongst us and I thank them for their
efforts.”
Notes to editors
Since winter 2017/18, the GLA has provided guidance for London’s
councils regarding local SWEP plans. This guidance, which has
been agreed by all 33 London councils, introduced a trigger point
for pan-London SWEP activation of 0°C on any one night to ensure
consistency across the capital.
Shared sleeping spaces should be considered by local authorities
only as a last resort, when all options to provide self-contained
rooms have been exhausted. This could be avoided if the
Government increased funding to the Greater London Authority and
boroughs during sustained periods of cold weather to provide
self-contained accommodation throughout the winter.
