ON A freezing February morning, commuters are arriving in their droves.

All manner of vehicles are filling up the city centre multi-storey car park including the odd Bentley.

Yet in between the cars are tents and bedding where people have set up their homes.

Trying to keep to themselves, some of Southampton’s homeless men and women have chosen to take shelter in this cold, noisy and dirty building in Bedford Place as it offers a small amount of shelter from the wind and the rain.

Earlier this week the Daily Echo reported that several tents had been set up in the Salisbury Street multi-storey car park in Southampton as it offers shelter and more safety than sleeping on the streets.

But why are these people forced to live in such a place just to stay dry, and what does the future hold for them?

One councillor has accused the authorities of abdicating responsibility for the situation.

Independent Don Thomas told the Daily Echo: “Homelessness in Southampton is the scourge of our times.

“It seems that apart from a couple of very good but overstretched homelessness charities no one wants to take any responsibility in trying to end this misery for so many Southampton families, and individuals young and old.

“Meanwhile in Southampton the housing waiting list grows by thousands and thousands with hundreds of properties owned and boarded up by the city council all standing empty and derelict (Townhill Park) for years.”

While there are organisations that can help, one charity boss has said they are working at full capacity.

Trevor Pickup, the chief executive of the Society of St James, a Hampshire based homelessness charity, said: “We run a number of housing projects, the most well known is the intensive hostel in Southampton Street.

“The number of services in Southampton are working well but are running close to capacity, or at capacity.

“There are a small number of people we have not been able to accommodate because of violence or drug dealing and things like that - we will be breaking the law if we accommodate people who are dealing.

“The street homeless team go out and visit the car parks on a regular basis and try to refer them to the housing projects.”

According to new government statistics, the number of homeless people in the city is growing.

Figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government earlier this week showed that 3,569 people were counted or estimated by local authorities to be sleeping rough on anyone night in autumn 2015, an increase of 30 per cent from the previous year.

In Southampton it was recorded or estimated that 31 people were sleeping rough, the highest it has been in the past five years.

However, outside of the city, the New Forest, Fareham, Winchester and Test Valley, all recorded or estimated between two and six rough sleepers, and in Eastleigh there were none at all.

These figures come at a time when organisations that provide specialist housing such as the Society of St James could see their budgets reduced in the latest cuts from the central government, although the plans have been put on hold for a year while a review takes place.

If the changes do occur, the Society of St James would have its budget slashed by around 40 per cent.

Southampton Test Labour MP Alan Whitehead raised the issue with the Conservative Minister for Housing and Planning, Brandon Lewis.

Dr Whitehead said: “The Society of St James calculates a sum of £1.03 million per annum will be lost, which means, quite simply and straightforwardly, that all of their schemes are at risk over the next period, because it will not be able to fund them properly.

“It is very likely – it is certainly not scaremongering – that those schemes will disappear immediately, not in the future.

“The whole system will be greatly the poorer as a result.”

Royston Smith, Conservative MP for Southampton Itchen, said: “I have spoken to the Society of St James and these changes have been put off for a year and I am relieved the Government is doing a review and those who will be affected can feed into that.

“The great thing about these reviews when you have a blanket plan and say this is the direction of travel places like the Society of St James for example can say that it will affect them in this way.

“If anyone would like to contribute to this review I would suggest they write to me or the Minister for Housing and Planning, Brandon Lewis.”

Southampton City Council was unable to comment on the recent homelessness statistics but has previously said: “Southampton City Council’s street homeless team carry out twice weekly outreach in the city centre, including all the major car parks, to offer help to those people found sleeping rough.

“All street sleepers are offered help including access to hostels in the city in emergency situations or where appropriate.

“For example, where individuals are staying temporarily with friends or family we are able on occasion to offer a deposit to access private rented accommodation.

“We continue to carry out these regular outreach sessions and all stipulated assistance will continue to be provided.”

Cllr Warwick Payne, Cabinet member for housing and sustainability, previously said: “If we have illegal encampments on our property the standard policy is to move these people on.

“In the event that these people are genuinely homeless we would of course seek to provide help and support to these people, which in real terms means directing them to a homeless shelter and day service that helps them and gets them back on their feet.”