Homelessness

Rough sleeping is when someone has no home and sleeps outside or in places not designed for living. This includes doorways, parks, bus shelters and empty buildings. It is one of the most visible forms of homelessness.

There is no single reason someone might sleep rough. The most common causes include:

• losing a job or home
• family or relationship breakdown
• struggles with mental health or addiction
• leaving care, prison or the armed forces without enough support
• a lack of affordable housing

Not always. Rough sleeping is one type of homelessness. Other people may be staying in hostels, temporary accommodation or sleeping on friends sofas. Some people who rough sleep also have accommodation available but cannot stay there for personal, social or safety reasons.

Numbers change through the year. As of October 2025, our average is around eight people a night.

Anyone with access to public funds who is rough sleeping and asks for help will be offered:

• a dedicated case officer
• a personal housing plan
• an offer of safe and suitable emergency accommodation

We have a low number of verified rough sleepers in Swindon and all are known to support services. We work with each person to find accommodation and support them to manage the issues that may prevent them from accepting or keeping a place to live.

Our priority is to ensure that no one is rough sleeping. Support includes:

• Outreach workers who visit people directly
• Navigators to help people access services
• Emergency bed spaces through our homelessness team
• The Haven Day Centre, offering food, showers and advice
• Long-term housing and employment support to help rebuild lives
• A floating support service to help people keep their tenancy

Be kind and respectful. If you can, you may want to offer food, a hot drink or warm clothes.

You can also encourage them to go to the Haven Day Centre or contact our homelessness services on 01793 445503.

If you want to let our outreach team know where the person is, you can complete a StreetLink report.

StreetLink is a national service that helps connect people sleeping outside in England and Wales with support from councils and charities. It covers anyone bedding down outdoors or staying in places not meant for living, such as a vehicle or an empty building. The system relies on alerts from the public and from those who are rough sleeping.

Not always. Many people who beg in Swindon are not sleeping rough. Some have accommodation and may be asking for money to fund a drug or alcohol addiction rather than a place to stay.

If someone who is begging appears to be sleeping rough, you can send an alert through StreetLink. Please share their location, the time you saw them and anything else that might help, such as gender or appearance. Outreach workers will then visit, assess their needs and offer support.

Some people choose to give money. Others prefer to donate to charities that help rough sleepers. Either choice is yours.

We have repurposed Saltzgitter Court in Toothill, which was formerly sheltered housing, into transitional accommodation. There are now 25 refurbished units with onsite support to help residents regain stability and move toward independent living.

Saltzgitter Court also acts as a community hub, hosting community policing, public health teams and voluntary organisations. This creates a more joined-up and integrated approach to build trust and foster stronger community ties.

These local efforts are supported by an additional £84 million in government funding to help councils prevent homelessness and support families in temporary accommodation. Swindon Borough Council has been allocated more than £582,000 from this fund.

Helping someone who is rough sleeping can sometimes take time. Although support is offered straightaway, people respond differently and may need several conversations before accepting help. We work in a trauma informed and person-centred way, so the support pathway varies for each individual.

Contact our housing team immediately on 01793 445503 or visit our homelessness support webpage for advice.

You can also contact national organisations such as Shelter or speak to local charities, including the Haven Day Centre.

The Swindon Rough Sleeper Reduction Strategy 2024 to 2027 (PDF) sets out a number of commitments to ensure effective ways of working. It seeks to improve the level of co-ordination and joint delivery of services and to support the creation of innovative solutions.

While there are many examples of fantastic work that has already been done, Swindon acknowledges the need to do more. An action plan is being developed to progress each priority in the strategy.

For more information, email hoptions@swindon.gov.uk.