A COUNCILLOR has warned something is “clearly broken”

in society after visiting homeless people camping in garages because they had nowhere else to go.

Julian Ware-Lane, Labour Southend councillor for Milton ward, says a visit to garages off Ceylon Road and London Road, Westcliff, had left him fearing homelessness is on the increase in the borough.

The Echo raised the issue with the council last week after carrying stories about roughsleepers camping out on the town’s beaches and cliffs.

Mr Ware-Lane said many of the people he encountered were in their thirties and forties, and some had only been homeless recently, after falling on hard times.

He added: “I was given the impression most of them had arrived at the garages in the past week.

“One was a 33-year-old man, a window fitter who was trying to find work, but had nowhere to keep his tools and no a van.

“He was stuck in this spiral.

“One guy I spoke to said he couldn’t sleep indoors and clearly, for one or two of them, their issues mean it’s going to be a long-term thing and getting them out of that will be quite difficult.

“But one thing is clear to me – this is a problem which is growing and not likely to go away anytime soon.

“I don’t know how many food banks and soup kitchens there are in the borough but they’re clearly in double figures.

“Something’s clearly broken.”

He said another rough sleeper, who appeared to be in his early forties, told him he had been homeless since February, when he was evicted from his Eastwood flat. He then had a short stay with homeless charity Harp before camping on the cliffs, which he found too cold.

A 30-year-old man, he added, had been homeless since his release from prison three months before.

Another had been on the streets for 19 years said he was unable to claim benefits to help him back on his feet, because he had no address.

A woman living in a Hamlet Court Road flat overlooking the garages said she had noticed an increase in rough-sleepers over the past month.

She added: “There are quite a lot of them over there now whereas it used to be only one garage.

“Although they don’t cause a nuisance, it’s not appropriate for them to be there, and I don’t like my children going out because of it.

“If they’re homeless then they need help."

COUNCIL IS TRYING TO HELP THEM

SOUTHEND Council is working to help the people sleeping at the garage site – but also putting pressure on the site owner.

Martin Terry, deputy to councillor responsible for housing David Norman, said the council wasworking with severalf agencies to offer help, but warned there would be no quick solution.

He added “We are working with the Southend Treatment andRecoveryService,whichprovidesasupport service foradults with substance misuses issues, with Family Mosaic which provides support to homeless people, and our outreach team at St Mungo’s Broadway which takes aproactive approach.

“We are also putting pressure on the owners to secure this site and look into suggestions these actions are being tolerated by the owners.

“Wecannot allowthis to go on.

It’s no good for local residents who are experiencing antisocial behaviour and disruption, and it is no good for the people allegedly squatting in these conditions who clearly need help and support.

“This is being offered but there is not an overnight solution and it can take time to engage with people who need help and build their trust.”

BLOG TELLS OF HIS VISIT

COUNCILLOR Julian Ware-Lane said he ended up spending 90 minutes talking to the rough-sleepers. He shared his thoughts on the experience in his blog. It reads: “I was thanked for coming and listening. They wereall polite, all very erudite.

“They need help, but also recognised (some at least) had made mistakes. Many had seen prison, some werereoffendingowing to the need to eat.

“Many werekeen to assure me the rubbishthereabouts was not their fault –and Ican attest to the area being a dumping ground long before the latest batch of roughsleepers had set up home here. Many had arrived in the past week, although Ithink it has been used by some for up to amonth.

“I ended my visit by breaking one of my own rules of not giving in to begging.

“It was impossible to ignore arequest for some money for adrink. Ihave so much compared to these people.

“They werehappy to talk, and polite. Iwas pleased I went, pleased to have chatted with them, and hope that in some small way Ican make their lives better.”