Encampment on Pin Hill

Supporting rough sleepers into appropriate accommodation is one of this council’s highest priorities. In 2023 we helped 104 street homeless into accommodation, and so far in 2024 the figure is 71.

It is something we work very hard at all year round. And while we consider that to be a significant number of success stories, we recognise there is always more to do and it remains a challenge for us every day.

We are working closely with Catching Lives and many other partners to support those currently sleeping rough on Pin Hill and find them somewhere safer and more appropriate to go.

Our outreach teams visit regularly to talk to the rough sleepers and try their utmost to offer answers to their housing problems. For some this is immediate. For others, it takes a little longer.

We have found emergency bed space and temporary accommodation for some of the rough sleepers, including finding one person a studio flat, which is permanent accommodation.

Officers have also spotted safeguarding concerns and managed to get one homeless person in need of medical help into hospital.

There are other challenges too. There is lots of movement at the site so who is sleeping there changes quite regularly.

And as we always make clear, we are unable to force people into accommodation. People do not always want to be helped, while for others there are often entrenched challenges around mental health and addiction.

When a rough sleeper on this site finds somewhere else to live, we ask them to take down their tent to stop reoccupation.

Ownership of the land remains an open question – it does not belong to Canterbury City Council, Catching Lives nor Kent County Council, although the latter does maintain it.

Our priority when working with rough sleepers is to build relationships and offer our help and support, but if there is a wider negative impact on the community then we do explore enforcement action when appropriate.

Published: 24 July 2024