Rough Sleeping in Winter
This government is committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022, and ending it altogether by 2027. Through my department’s Rough Sleeping Initiative we have this year already given £30m to help rough sleepers in the worst-affected areas. We have also launched the £100m Rough Sleeping Strategy so we can take further action on this vital matter. The Strategy is built around three core points: preventing rough sleeping, intervening at crisis points and helping people recover from rough sleeping in a way best suited to them.
As we move into winter, we recognise the cold weather period is particularly challenging. We want to work with local authorities, charities and other stakeholders to make sure we can support as many people off the streets as possible. This will be done primarily through the work of the Rough Sleeping Initiative. The Initiative, backed by £75m over two years, has so far targeted the 83 local authorities with the highest numbers of rough sleepers for 2018/19 and 2019/20. These local authorities are already working hard to ensure this funding leads to a reduction in the number of rough sleepers. They are supported by MHCLG’s expert rough sleeping advisers. Further local authorities will benefit from this funding next year.
In order to enhance and strengthen provision for rough sleepers during the particularly cold months between now and March, my department has today written to all local authorities to offer additional funding for this period. The Cold Weather Fund will invest up to £5m funding for the upcoming winter months until March 2019 to provide swift, bespoke interventions to rough sleepers, as well as to develop existing services.
As well as these shorter-term measures, my department has taken action to deliver our manifesto pledge to halve Rough Sleeping by 2022 and eradicate it by 2027.
This month we launched our Rapid Rehousing Pathway programme, which aims to get people a proper place to stay through a number of interventions including:
Somewhere Safe to Stay Pilots – we are funding 15 needs assessment hubs to support rough sleepers into accommodation.
Local Lettings Agencies – we are funding local lettings agencies to focus on helping rough sleepers.
Supported Lettings – we are funding flexible floating support in homes provided for people with a history of rough sleeping.
Navigators – we are funding new specialists to help people who sleep rough access appropriate local services and get them into settled accommodation.
Also, our Private Rented Sector Access fund provides £20m to help people at risk of homelessness into housing. We launched this fund on 10 October and it is currently open to all local authorities in England.
The Move On fund is a grant of £100m delivered by Homes England and, in London, the GLA. This fund supports the construction, purchase, conversion, leasing or renovation and reinstatement of properties to be used exclusively as rented ‘second stage’ (“move-on”) accommodation for homeless people. Bidding for the fund outside of London is currently open to local authorities and housing providers.
In May, I announced £28m of funding to pilot Housing First in Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Liverpool City Region Combined Authorities. These pilots will provide rough sleepers with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support, supporting them to recover from complex issues and sustain their tenancies.
I am committed to getting rough sleepers off the street and receiving the support they need. I recognise this will require a sustained effort right across the system, some of which will take time to have the full impact, but I am confident that, together, these initiatives will pave the way towards achieving our goal of halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eradicating it by 2027.