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Government to announce additional £151m for homelessness
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to announce a £151m package to help get rough sleepers off the streets, as part of Wednesday’s spending review.
According to the Treasury, the funding will be made available from March and will be in addition to the £103m the chancellor promised during his Spring Budget for rough sleeping for 2020/21.
The funding is a 60% increase on what was announced for rough sleeping as part of the 2019 Spending Review and brings the total resource budget for next year to £676m.
It will be used to fund the Rough Sleeping Initiative, a programme that helps rough sleepers to rebuild their lives and local authorities to prevent homelessness.
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Funding will also be provided to support people who are at risk of becoming homeless following their release from prison, the treasury said.
At the Spending Review, the government will also confirm £82m of additional capital funding for 2021/22 as part of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme.
The funding comes as councils across the UK attempt to find longer term accommodation for the thousands of rough sleepers who were housed in hotels and other emergency accommodation during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis. To support this effort, the government has allocated £266m for 6,000 more supported homes, of which 3,300 must be delivered by March.
However, charities have warned that those still sleeping on the streets are being forced to choose between sleeping out in the cold this winter or potentially catching COVID-19 in a shared night shelter.
Calls are being made for the government to fully fund an effort to house rough sleepers in self-contained accommodation over the winter, as happened during spring and summer.
Ahead of Wednesday’s Spending Review, Mr Sunak said: “The pandemic has had devastating impacts on the poorest in our societ, and we will do everything we can to support those who have been hardest hit.
“This additional support will be key to supporting rough sleepers on the first step of their journey off the streets and into homes.”
