A ‘BOLD’ target of reducing the number of rough sleepers in Oxford to zero will be put forward at a council meeting.
The Green Party has put forward a motion for Oxford City Council to commit to the target to completely eradicate the problem of people sleeping on the streets.
Recently the council has introduced plans for a zero emissions zone and commitments to reduce landfill waste to zero and the Greens said a similarly comprehensive approach to rough sleeping was now required.
In raising the motion, party leader David Thomas said: “This council has adopted many aspirational targets to demonstrate its long-term commitment to continuous improvement and desire to be recognised as ‘world-class city.’
“For example, it has committed itself to zero waste to landfill, reducing carbon emissions to zero through compliance with the Paris Agreement and, most recently, to explore the introduction of a City Centre zero emissions zone.
“To help frame the ‘big conversation’ around the council’s homelessness strategy a similar bold commitment is required.”
Last year statistics released exclusively to the Oxford Mail showed that only 22 of 80 rough sleepers surveyed in the city in March were in accommodation by October.
The city council launched a new strategy to tackle homelessness in September last year - which sought to increase crisis accommodation and prevent rough sleeping.
The motion will be voted on on Monday. January 29
The target would not include those who chose to sleep on the streets.
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