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Councils given £13m to help prison leavers find long-term accommodation
More than 140 local authorities in England have been allocated a share of £13m to help find long-term accommodation for prison leavers.
Today the government announced the funding as part of a number of policies aimed at tackling the causes of crime.
It comes one week after a government-backed scheme to provide basic temporary accommodation to prison leavers launched in five of England’s 12 probation service region.
The new funding will be used by councils to find more long-term accommodation for prison leavers, for example in the private rented sector.
Councils can use the funding to pay for initiatives, such as landlord incentives and loans for rent deposits, specialised insurance and dedicated staff working with prison leavers to maintain their tenancy long term.
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According to the government, prison leavers without a stable home are 50% more likely to reoffend.
Today’s funding is on top of the £750m already being spent by the government this year to tackle rough sleeping.
Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland said: “The combination of strong supervision from probation staff and support into treatment, a home and a job will drive down crime. It gives offenders the incentive and opportunity to break the cycle of repeat offending and will save thousands of law-abiding people from becoming victims.”
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This government is making huge progress in our mission to end rough sleeping, with a 43% reduction since the prime minister came into office and an internationally recognised approach to protecting rough sleepers during the pandemic. We are building on this by working across government to tackle the underlying causes, backed by £750m funding this year alone.
“By supporting offenders into their own accommodation and keeping them off the streets, they’ll have a better chance of turning their lives around – reducing reoffending and making our communities safer.”
