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Government announces £30m rough sleeping fund as new legislation comes into force
The government has announced a £30m rough sleeping fund as new legislation to try and prevent homelessness comes into force.
The Homelessness Reduction Act will be introduced next week and gives councils new responsibilities to step in earlier to prevent homelessness and support more people facing homelessness.
Rough sleeping has been steadily increasing since 2010.
The government has also announced it will work with the National Housing Federation (NHF) to “explore the possibility” of extending a London scheme that provides housing association homes to rough sleepers. David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, welcomed the initiative but warned it should not “displace other vulnerable families currently on council waiting lists”. He called for more direct investment in social housing.
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The £30m fund for 2018/19 will be targeted at councils with high numbers of rough sleepers and a new rough sleeping team made up of homelessness experts with knowledge of housing, mental health and addiction will work with these areas to help them develop local plans to tackle rough sleeping.
The government has pledged to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and end it by 2027.
Frontline rough sleeper workers across the country will also be given £100,000 between them to make sure they have the best skills and knowledge to work with vulnerable rough sleepers.
Mr Javid said: “This winter has tragically claimed the lives of a number of people sleeping on the streets. This is completely unacceptable in modern Britain.
“Tackling the causes of rough sleeping is undoubtedly complex but we must do all we can – working across central and local government, the voluntary and charity sector – to help the most vulnerable in society and eliminate rough sleeping for good.”
The Homelessness Reduction Act is the most ambitious legal reform in decades and places new duties on councils to prevent and relieve homelessness, including for single homeless people who are at greater risk of sleeping rough.”
The Department of Health and Social Care will provide experts on mental health and drug treatment services, the Ministry of Justice will focus on making sure short sentence prisoners and offenders serving community sentences at risk of sleeping rough are identified and the Home Office will ensure police take action to tackle anti-social behaviour and street begging.
David Orr, chief executive at the National Housing Federation, said: “This cross-departmental working to support rough sleepers with complex needs is bold and innovative. It has the potential to make a big difference. We also look forward to exploring the use of more housing association properties to help people off the streets and into housing. However, we need to be mindful this work does not displace other vulnerable families currently on council waiting lists. The numbers of people in temporary accommodation is already growing rapidly.
“What we desperately need now are more homes to put people in, so that both those on the streets and those already waiting for social housing have a permanent place to live. This will require more investment directly in social housing.”
Martin Tett, housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “We are working with the government on a longer-term approach to eradicating rough sleeping. Beyond this initial investment, we look forward to the launch this summer of the government’s strategy and investment plans to end rough sleeping and to tackle homelessness.
“For councils to be able to help end homelessness, we ask that the government accept the calls of the LGA and the cross-party Treasury select committee and gives councils the freedom to be able to borrow to invest in building new affordable homes.”
