New night shelter to help city's rough sleepers

31 December 2025

Phil CorriganLocal Democracy Reporter

The number of rough sleepers in Stoke-on-Trent has increased over the last year, the council says

PA Media A blue sleeping bag, accompanied by a grey rucksack and a black holdall, is tucked into the corner of what seems to be part of a building. There is a Union Jack flag attached to the handle of the rucksack. — The number of rough sleepers in Stoke-on-Trent has increased over the last year, the council says

Funding for a night shelter to help address the rising number of rough sleepers has been agreed.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to pay £150,456 to Adullam Housing Association to provide a nine-bed shelter in Burslem for six months.

The decision came after the number of homelessness and rough sleeping in the city increased.

The council said it had received 2,371 homelessness inquiries in the first 10 months of the year, the highest number since 2018, and a 14% increase on the previous year. In October, there were 81 individuals on the rough sleeper team's caseload, compared to 69 at the same point in 2024.

Swan Bank Methodist Church, which provides food, clothing and shower facilities for homeless people from its Chapel Lane premises, and Adullam approached the council with proposals to bring its night shelter back into use as emergency off-street accommodation over the winter months.

The previous one shut in 2019.

The Burslem night shelter was expected to be in operation until 31 May 2026.

Funding for the shelter will come from a £974,225 government grant awarded to the council for 2025/26.

Temperatures were expected to drop as yellow warnings have been issued by the Met Office for snow and ice across England. They will be in force between midnight and noon on 2 January.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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