Vulnerable people sleeping rough across the country will receive
specialist tailored support they need to recover from life on the
streets and find accommodation, thanks to a £26 million fund
announced today (1 March 2019) by the Housing Minister, MP.
Councils will be able to bid for the extra investment to fund
innovative local schemes which help those sleeping rough and
struggling with mental health problems or substance misuse issues
into a home as a priority, and provide the wrap-around help they
need get back on their feet.
Councils will use the funding to:
- create teams of ‘Navigators’ – specialist support workers who
will work tirelessly as a single point of contact to help people
off the streets and into recovery by directing them to the
services they need, such as mental health support, substance
misuse counselling and housing advice services
- establish dedicated lettings agencies for rough sleepers –
specialist agencies which provide homes and advice for those
sleeping on the streets, supporting them into affordable and
stable accommodation
- set up specialist rough sleeping Somewhere Safe to Stay
‘hubs’ – new hubs which will ensure those on the streets have
access to professional help and guidance to start their recovery,
including immediate shelter and tailored mental health support
- introduce Supported Lettings schemes – helping vulnerable
people sleeping rough to sustain tenancies - properties that they
may not otherwise be able to access
Funding announced today forms part of the
government’s rough sleeping
strategy, which aims to end rough sleeping for good backed by
investment of £100 million.
Minister for Housing and Homelessness, MP said:
No one should ever have to face a night on the streets, and
steps are being taken to ensure people are never faced with
this as their only option.
These are vulnerable people who need specialist support to get
back on their feet and turn their lives around.
The funding announced today will ensure those sleeping on the
streets across the country have access to the professional help
and guidance they need to start their recovery – taking us one
step closer to our ambition to end rough sleeping for good.
Today’s announcement follows the publication of the latest annual
rough sleeping statistics, which shows the number of people
sleeping rough has fallen for the first time in 8 years – with a
decrease of 19% in the 83 areas supported through the
government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative.
To date, councils have used the investment to create an
additional 1,700 beds and 500 rough sleeping support staff –
meaning there are more people in warm beds tonight as a result of
government funding.
Bidding for this fund is open from today and will close on 29
March 2019. Ministers will announce successful councils later
this year.
In August 2018, the
government unveiled its rough sleeping
strategy, which sets out the next steps towards achieving the
aim of supporting everyone off the streets and into a home and to
end rough sleeping for good, backed by £100 million of funding.
The Rough Sleeping Initiative funds 83 councils with the highest
number of rough sleepers across the country.
