Government figures claiming Corby has had second highest homelessness rise in country are questioned

The government published figures yesterday giving a picture of homelessness across the country.

The data, which was gained from a count that took place across the country this winter, says that Corby had a 600 per cent increase between 2017 and 2018 with the number of rough sleepers rising from four to 28.

But Diane Boyd, chairman of the trustees at Corby Nightlight, the homeless shelter based at the former police station in Elizabeth Street, thinks the figures are false.

She said: “I think these figures are skewed as we knew there were more than four rough sleepers in the town last year and we know there are more than 28 now.

“I don’t that the homelessness is increasing in Corby more than other areas.”

The shelter is currently providing nightly accommodation for 35 people and the trustee said that since it opened in November more than 50 different people have accessed the services or had a meal.

She has also made a call for donations to the shelter as the number of people giving to the charity dropped last week in the wake of a video surfacing showing the then chief executive Nicola Pell involved in an attack outside a Corby pub. Ms Pell has since resigned.

Diane Boyd said: “We can never have enough coffee, milk, cheese and ham. Some of our people are now in work and so cheese and ham is useful to make a packed meal for them to take to work.”

The shelter is also holding a recruitment event for volunteers at 3pm on Saturday, February 9, at the shelter.

The government figures state that Enfield had the biggest increase in rough sleepers with the number rising from nine in 2017 to 78 in 2018.

2018 figures recorded for East Northants were seven, 17 for Kettering and 10 for Wellingborough.

However the Wellingborough roving night shelter currently has 30 people without homes registered with its service.