There is a warning people sleeping rough on the streets of Bridgend will die during freezing temperatures due to a lack of homeless shelters, a community centre has warned.
Bridgend does not currently have overnight accommodation available for homeless people like in other Welsh towns and cities, forcing many to sleep outside in freezing temperatures, including pregnant people.
Rebecca Lloyd, from the community centre, told CJS News: “You’ve got over 100 people at this very moment waiting for temporary accommodation.
“You’ve got over 30 people in tents. We see pregnant girls that have been on the street up until this week but they’ve been on the street pregnant for the last ten weeks. This year we haven’t lost anybody yet. Last year we lost two to the cold and we know it’s coming.”
The centre provides food and shelter six days a week to homeless people in Bridgend.
But they are unable stay open overnight after the plan was rejected by Bridgend County Borough Council.
Security guards who work at the centre often go out to conduct night watches to check up on people sleeping on the street.
Karl Davies, is homeless and has been sleeping rough for a year and a half. His pregnant partner has been given accommodation to stay in but he is not allowed to stay with her.
“It’s cold. They did have a floor space, but that got closed down. There’s just no help out there.”
He said that homeless people in Bridgend have been ‘left in the dark’ and the situation he is faced with is ‘depressing’.
This year we haven’t lost anybody yet. Last year, we lost two to the cold.
– Rebecca Lloyd, BARC Community Outreach Centre
Ms. Lloyd added that the local community and businesses are “extremely generous” in providing donations to the centre.
Shops like Tesco and Greggs donate food to the centre every week too.
As BARC operates on a voluntary basis, supplies like these keep costs low and vulnerable people fed.
Bridgend County Borough Council have been approached for comment and have not yet provided a response.