Union claims that rough sleeper count was fixed

The Transport and General Workers’ Union, whose members helped carry out headcounts for the Rough Sleepers’ Unit, called an emergency meeting after contact and assessment team workers voiced concerns to its representatives.

The workers backed the recent claims of the Simon Community. It alleged a party at a London hostel, “police harassment” and “falsification of the figures” had distorted the count (Housing Today, 6 December).

A TGWU spokesman said: “Outreach workers experienced a higher police presence on their streets and, in their view, more clients were arrested for vagrancy.

“The RSU officials who took part in the count pressured experienced workers to exclude rough sleepers who were well known to them, if for example they had not completed bedding down.

“RSU employees pressured outreach teams to change their count figures to lower numbers. When teams refused, the RSU issued the lower figures they wanted.”

The union also alleged the unit paid for rough sleepers to stay at a Victoria bed and breakfast on the night of the count, which started earlier than previous counts.

Its member said they were prevented from visiting areas known as popular sites for rough sleepers.

Unit head Louise Casey insisted no special measures were taken on the night of the count and the RSU added it received no evidence to substantiate the allegations.

“The allegations are based on myth and misinformation and I think it would have been better in many ways if the trade union official and his members had raised it with the charity managers and chief executives and, if necessary, the Rough Sleepers Unit,” said Casey.

Conservative housing spokesman, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said: “Things have got worse not better, in the past four years. Labour have failed to publish its own homelessness strategy. This is another indication that [DTLR secretary] Stephen Byers and his department urgently need to get a grip.”