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Government announces allocations for £30m Rough Sleeping Initiative Fund
Allocations for the government’s £30m Rough Sleeping Initiative Fund have been announced.
The funding, first announced at the end of March, will be shared between the 83 local authorities in England with the most rough sleepers.
It is aimed at boosting homelessness services to help more people off the streets and into accommodation.
Ministers said the cash will provide an extra 1,750 bed spaces for rough sleepers and another 531 homelessness workers in councils.
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Camden will receive an £870,000 chunk of the funding to expand its rough sleeper outreach team.
Westminster will receive £534,000 to deliver two new Housing First units, while Brighton has been allocated around £500,000m for new staff and temporary accommodation.
Manchester, Cornwall, Plymouth, Lincoln, and Leicester have also been awarded large sums.
Expert help from the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative team will also be offered to town halls.
James Brokenshire, housing secretary, said: “No one should ever have to sleep rough. I am determined that more people living on the streets and those at risk this coming winter get the help they need now.
“That’s why I am making £30m available that will help councils boost the immediate support they are able to offer. Whether this pays for more beds or more outreach workers, this will make a real difference now.
“Many challenging factors lie behind rough sleeping, from mental health problems to addiction, and our long-term strategy to be published this summer will outline how we plan to tackle them and eliminate rough sleeping for good.”
The government has committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022, and ending it altogether by 2027.
Next month, minsters will publish their new Rough Sleeping Strategy setting out the government’s plan to achieve the target.
Howard Sinclair, chief executive of homelessness charity St Mungo’s, said: “Given how dangerous it is to sleep rough, we are pleased that ministers have recognised that urgent action is needed to support people off the street and out of danger, as well as to prevent people ending up on the streets in the first place.
“Effective outreach services are a crucial part of this, along with sufficient emergency accommodation, and assessment and support for people with mental health and substance use problems.
“While this money is a welcome first step, we hope that the government will provide sufficient funding alongside its forthcoming rough sleeping strategy to achieve the prime minister’s goal of halving rough sleeping in this parliament and ending it within 10 years.”
