Thousands of vulnerable families will be protected from
homelessness this winter thanks to an extra £50 million of
government support.
Councils will have the flexibility to target the additional
financial support at those who need it most. This may include
helping households at risk of eviction pay off their rent arrears
or supporting families struggling to secure a new home with their
search and deposits.
The funding is on top of £316 million Homeless Prevention Grant
already allocated to councils for 2022-23 year and is part of a
£2 billion package of government support to tackle homelessness
and rough sleeping over the next three years.
Minister for Housing and Homelessness,
said:
“We understand that many people are struggling this winter and we
are taking action to protect vulnerable families at risk of
homelessness this Christmas.
“The increased support we are announcing today will make a real
difference to those most at risk by helping them to pay their
rents or find new homes.”
This follows a £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation
Programme (SHAP), which will deliver up to 2,4000 homes by March
2025 for people already experiencing or at risk of experiencing
rough sleeping. Details on how local authorities can apply for
this funding will be published shortly.
Millions of vulnerable families will also benefit this
winter from a wider raft of cost of living support from the
Government, including assistance with energy bills and direct
payments of £1,200.
The details of individual local authority allocations can be
found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-2022-to-2023