Local councils' cash boost to prevent rough sleeping

The funding is part of the Next Steps Accommodation programme, which aims to build on the success of the Government’s efforts to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers during the pandemic. This programme successful saw emergency accommodation secured for more than 15,000 people either sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness.

It does this by making financial resources available to support local authorities and their partners provide accommodation and support that prevents the people who have been helped from returning to the streets.

The funding can be used by local authorities to help people find supported housing or secure a tenancy in the private rented sector, extend or secure alternative interim accommodation or where possible help people to reconnect with friends or family.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “Throughout the pandemic, we successfully got thousands of rough sleepers off the streets and into emergency accommodation.

“I am delighted that our local authorities are now set to receive funding from the Government’s Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which will help us to build on this progress to ensure as few people as possible return to the streets.

“This will make a real difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our community, helping them to rebuild their lives, away from the streets in safer accommodation”

The Next Steps Accommodation Programme is also funding long term accommodation for rough sleepers, with the first 3,300 units set to be delivered by the end of the year, backed by £161m. of investment.

A total of 6,000 of these ‘move on’ style accommodation units will be built over the course of the parliament, providing secure homes for rough sleepers, and helping deliver the Government’s ambition of ending rough sleeping for good by 2024.