CLG reports progress on rough sleeping
Hundreds of rough sleepers have been housed in the private rented sector through a government scheme, according to a Communities and Local Government department report.
The No One Left Out strategy was launched in November 2008 and aims to end rough sleeping in England by 2012.
CLG reports hundreds of rough sleepers have been housed by small grants programmes, which allow councils to provide deposits for rough sleepers to secure privately rented accommodation.
In its annual progress report on the strategy the CLG notes ‘significant impacts’ have been achieved for the London’s 205 most entrenched rough sleepers ‘by agreeing with boroughs and providers a flexible and personalised approach to helping these individuals off the streets’.
It adds: ‘CLG provided additional funding to tackle blockages to moving into suitable accommodation, and around 140 individuals have now moved indoors.’
The document also talks of the success of a mentoring and befriending scheme to help the rough sleepers stay in their accommodation, close working between health services and other agencies and advisory visits from a team of experts to more than 80 councils.
Ian Austin, the junior minister responsible for homelesness, said: ‘Together we must maintain this momentum and continue the drive to find, and put in place, long-term solutions to tackle rough sleeping.’
Jenny Edwards, chief executive of umbrella organisation for homelessness agencies Homeless Link, said: ‘We are particularly encouraged by CLG’s leadership in driving support from other national government departments and their willingness to pilot new approaches, such as the hospital discharge protocol, in partnership with the NHS, which aims to prevent people leaving hospital with nowhere to go.’
Last week the government published statistics on homelessness for 2008/09, which showed 130,000 households in England were prevented from becoming homeless by their local council.
Of the 130,000, 61 per cent of reported cases were found alternative accommodation and 39 per cent were helped to stay in their own home.
Mr Austin said: ‘Councils and their partners across England are putting government funding to good use and nipping homelessness in the bud when problems first start to emerge.
‘By taking early and innovative action people can be helped to stay in their homes and families can be given the stable environment they need to lead successful lives.’
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