PEOPLE living in Bournemouth town centre will have a chance to give their views on work to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping next month.

Newly-elected BCP councillor Hazel Allen has arranged a meeting between residents and representatives of organisations working to tackle the issue.

She said homelessness was the topic most often raised by people living in her Bournemouth Central ward but that people felt they had “no voice” in the work that was being done.

Figures published by the charity Shelter in November showed there were more than 450 people in the town who were classed as homeless and 48 were recorded as rough sleepers.

Most homeless people are housed in temporary accommodation such as bed and breakfasts by the council.

“Homelessness is the one thing that is raised more often than anything else,” Cllr Allen said. “Of course there are other issues going on in the town centre but this is the one I'm most commonly contacted about.

“There is a perception that residents aren’t given a voice in this area and they want to play more of a part in the work that’s going on.”

Cllr Allen said that she had been spent time with charities and council officers who are providing support to homeless people.

“It was one of my priorities in the election campaign and I’m particularly keen that we try and work to find solutions that work for everyone – residents, businesses and people who don’t have a place to live,” she added.

Her meeting will be held on Monday, September 9 at St Stephen's Church.

Earlier this month, the council’s cabinet member for housing Kieron Wilson met with experts in Finland to explore new ways of tackling homelessness.

Arranged around his holiday, discussions were held with experts from various organisations based in the Nordic country – the only one in the EU where the number of people without a permanent place to live is falling.