(Secretary of State for
Housing, Communities and Local Government): On 9 August, I
announced that housing benefit will remain in place
to fund supported housing, alongside
publication of the Government’s response to the October 2017
consultations on possible alternative funding options. We also
announced that we will not be pursuing the Sheltered Rent model.
This demonstrates our commitment to protect some of the most
vulnerable people in our communities, by ensuring vital services
are in place.
I am also keen to work with providers, local authorities,
membership bodies and resident representatives to develop a
robust oversight regime, to ensure quality and value for money
across the sector. Alongside this enhanced oversight, my
Department will undertake a review of housing related support in
order to better understand how housing and support fit together.
Taken together, this gives the sector the confidence they need to
continue to invest in supply.
On 13 August, I announced a cross-government Rough
Sleeping Strategy setting out the first steps
towards achieving our commitment to halve rough sleeping by 2022
and end it by 2027. This builds upon the work of the Rough
Sleeping Initiative announced in March, and set outs the further
action we will take to support those currently sleeping rough.
To develop the strategy my Department has worked across
Government through the Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction
Taskforce, and with the homelessness sector and local areas
through the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel, to set out our
long-term vision for how both local and central government will
work together to build a country where no one needs to sleeps
rough again.
The strategy is based around three core pillars: Prevent,
Intervene and Recover, with a focus on moving to a ‘rapid
rehousing’ approach. Taken together with initiatives my
Department had already committed to prior to publishing this
strategy, this represents over £150 million of funding dedicated
to reducing rough sleeping over the next two years. In addition,
we confirmed additional funding for health services for people
sleeping rough. We will refresh the Strategy on an annual basis,
setting out the progress we have made and ensuring that our
interventions remain relevant and targeted. We are also
developing a delivery plan, to be published in the autumn.
We will prevent rough sleeping by providing timely support to
those at risk by, for example:
- piloting suitable accommodation and tailored for those
leaving prison so they do not end up on the streets;
- researching the nature and scale of LGBT homelessness to
determine what measures need to be put in place to prevent this;
- ensuring that local authorities investigate rough sleeper
deaths to understand and tackle the root causes; and
- implementing the duty to refer on certain public bodies as
part of the Homelessness Reduction Act, to ensure that more
people get the help they need faster.
We will intervene to help people already on the street get swift,
targeted support by, for example:
- rolling out a new initiative, Somewhere Safe to Stay, to help
up to 6,000 people who are new to the streets or vulnerable to
rough sleeping, offering support to rapidly identify issues that
led them to sleeping rough;
- introducing ‘navigators’ – specialists who will act as
trusted confidantes – who will help people sleeping rough access
the appropriate services and accommodation;
- providing up to £30 million for health services for people
sleeping rough, informed by the findings of a health provision
audit to be carried out this year; and
- providing training for frontline staff on how to best help
people under the influence of Spice, those who are victims of
domestic abuse, modern slavery, as well as how best to support
homeless LGBT people.
We will help people recover, find a new home quickly and rebuild
their lives by, for example:
- providing affordable accommodation for those leaving hostels
and domestic abuse refuges, and to support them in managing this
accommodation;
- investing money from dormant bank accounts into housing for
those on the streets or at risk of rough sleeping;
- launching a new fund to help up to 5,000 former rough
sleepers and those at risk to sustain their tenancies by working
with them to boost financial independence and access training and
employment opportunities; and
- launching a £50 million fund for homes outside London for
people ready to move on from hostels or refuges but need
additional support.
We recognise that this is a challenging commitment but are
confident this strategy will pave the way towards achieving our
2027 vision. We are clear, however, that this is just the first
step.
The Rough Sleeping Strategy was laid before Parliament on 13
August (Cm 9685).
