Homeless people moved from encampment by council

A total of 21 people have been moved from an encampment on the side of a busy main road in a Kent city, a council has confirmed.

Canterbury City Council said it was working with homelessness charities Catching Lives and Porchlight as well as "other settings" to provide shelter for them.

The council added it was collaborating with the NHS to provide healthcare and dental care to help people "overcome alcohol and drug addiction".

Pip Hazelton, cabinet member for housing, said it was "heart-breaking to see people living in this way".

"Officers in teams from across the council have done all they can to rehome people and offer other forms of support," she added.

"Only last week we managed to find emergency bedspace with Porchlight and persuaded people to take advantage of that opportunity."

The local authority added it issued letters on Wednesday to the people at the site, asking them to move their belongings within seven days before enforcement action is taken.

Ms Hazelton added: "While we prefer to help people to move on, this situation simply cannot go on and now we need to take legal action to bring this sad situation to an end."

The council said it was also assisting homeless people who have been living in tents at an encampment in Pin Hill.

"The challenge all along has been that as soon as we find one person a home, they are replaced by someone equally desperate for help," Ms Hazelton said.

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