A NEW report claiming the number of people sleeping rough has fallen dramatically has been welcomed by a Watford charity for the homeless and Watford Council.

The report, from the Rough Sleepers Unit (RSU), claims the number of homeless people has been cut by 71 per cent, six months ahead of Government targets.

Mr Basil Lazenby, chief executive of the charity for the homeless Watford New Hope Trust, welcomed the findings, but said: "The number of homeless should be zero, both in this town and this country as well.

"The work we have started will continue providing outreach and services to those who have become homeless and hit the streets.

"The good work that has enabled us to get this far is a joint effort working in partnership with Watford Council, statutory agencies, and the voluntary sector to tackle this problem of rough sleeping."

Mr Lazenby said there was still a lot of work to be done to tackle homelessness on both a national and local basis, and other aspects of the issue that needed to be addressed.

He explained: "Watford New Hope Trust is in no doubt that unless we tackle the problems of hidden homelessness such as people staying in squats, B&Bs, sleeping on friends' floors then we will always have people hitting the streets and having no option but to sleep rough.

"The diverse causes of homelessness redundancy, debt, substance misuse, relationship breakdown will, sadly, always be part of our society.

"Here at Watford New Hope Trust, we believe much more needs to be done to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place and to support people effectively before they lost their homes, jobs, and families and before they find themselves on the street."

Echoing his views, Mr Jagtar Singh Dhindas, executive board member for health at Watford Council, welcomed the statistics. He said there was evidence that the problems of homelessness, and in particular rough sleepers, was being addressed.

By working in partnership, he said, agencies could take a more holistic view to tackle the problem of rough sleepers in their specific areas.

He said: "This is the way Watford Council and New Hope Trust have approached the situation and it has paid off by reducing the number of rough sleepers to three. Our aim is to wipe out rough sleeping in Watford completely."

Watford New Hope Trust is currently working in partnership with two housing associations and Watford Council, to draw up plans for 29 affordable move-on flats. It will also address the acute lack of affordable appropriate move-on accommodation in the Watford area.

A trust spokesman said: "Once someone has a place in the emergency or hostel accommodation, there is often nowhere for them to go on to.

"We aim to give new hope and a future to the homeless, and see these housing plans as crucial to realising this vision."

December 15, 2001 17:00