An emergency £10 million fund has been launched by the Deputy
Prime Minister to protect rough sleepers from cold weather this
winter.
The funding boost will save lives by ensuring rough sleepers have
access to a safe and warm bed.
The money will go direct to councils in the highest need and
support thousands of the most vulnerable people in society. Last
year, a devastating 155 people died sleeping rough on our
streets.
Last week in the Budget, it was announced an additional £233
million will go to tackling all forms of homelessness, taking
total spending on reducing homelessness to nearly £1 billion in
2025-26. This money will directly fund critical services to
prevent homelessness and support people into secure, stable
housing - helping those at risk of homelessness to pay deposits
and negotiate with landlords, reducing the overall need for
temporary accommodation.
Today the Deputy Prime Minister is chairing the first
cross-government group on tackling homelessness. During the
meeting the Deputy Prime Minister will pledge to end “sticking
plaster” measures, and instead tackle the root cause of the
problem.
This action follows a sharp rise in rough sleeping, which is
nearing record levels. Unprecedented numbers of children are in
temporary accommodation and almost 360,000 households approached
their council for help with homelessness in the last
year.
The taskforce is one of the first steps in the government's plan
to develop a long-term strategy to tackle all forms of
homelessness, bringing together the healthcare, justice and
education systems.
Deputy Prime Minister, , said:
“Anyone forced to sleep rough on our streets represents a
complete failure of the broken system we've inherited. It's a
national disgrace, and we can't keep sticking plasters on
it.
“We are approaching the harshest months of the year which
is why we are taking immediate action to reach anyone sleeping
rough and help them off the streets this winter.
“Bringing together Ministers across government is a crucial
step to tackle this crisis at its root and ensure everyone has
access to the basic right of safe and secure
housing.”
These measures come alongside the government reinvesting in the
NHS, increasing wages for the lowest earners and building an
economy that will grow to create opportunity for all.
This funding is just one branch of the government's wider drive
to fix the housing crisis. Section 21 ‘no fault' evictions will
be abolished through the Renters' Rights Bill, immediately
putting an end to one of the leading causes of
homelessness.
Alongside this, the government will deliver the biggest boost in
social and affordable housing in a generation, with £500 million
in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme delivering up
to 5,000 new social homes. Councils will also be able to keep
100% of receipts from all Right to Buy sales, enabling them to
re-invest in more social housing available for families.
