£3.5 million to tackle rough sleeping
Housing Minister announces the projects benefitting from the latest instalment of multi-million pound Homelessness Transition Fund.
Housing Minister announces the projects benefitting from the latest instalment of multi-million pound Homelessness Transition Fund.
Projects helping rough sleepers are to benefit from a multi-million government fund to help ensure no one spends more than a night on the streets, Kris Hopkins announced today (6 November 2013).
Already, the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund has helped charities reach over 14,000 people across the country by offering help with issues including accommodation, health and jobs
Today, Mr Hopkins confirmed that 30 projects across the country will benefit from a share of £3.5 million of this fund, to give people the opportunity to break the cycle of rough sleeping and get the help they need to get their lives back on track.
This is just 1 of a range of measures the government has taken to maintain the strong safety net against homelessness and ensure anyone facing the frightening prospect of rough sleeping gets the help they need
This includes allocating some £470 million to councils since 2010 to tackle the issue, supporting Streetlink the national rough sleeping hotline and website connecting vulnerable people with the help they need and the new ministerial working group on homelessness, which brings together ministers from 8 different government departments to look at the range of factors that cause people to become homeless.
No Second Night Out
Today’s homelessness transition funding will help further roll-out the ‘No Second Night Out’ pledge across the country.
Started in London, this innovative scheme helps rough sleepers off the streets immediately, with the aim that no one should spend more than 1 night on the streets.
Housing Minister Kris Hopkins said:
I am absolutely clear that homelessness has no place in the 21st century and I am determined that every effort is made to prevent and tackle rough sleeping and get more support to vulnerable people in need.
That’s why I’m pleased to see 30 projects benefit from a share of £3.5 million to continue their good work and help people find stable homes and jobs and get their lives back on track.
This takes the total Homelessness Transition Fund to £20 million, which has already helped over 14,000 people facing the prospect of sleeping rough. Today’s funding - on top of the £470 million we’ve given councils to help tackle this issue - should help ensure no one spends more than 1 night on the streets.
Chair of the Fund’s Grants Panel Sharon Allen, said:
We know how damaging spending a night on the streets is to an individual’s wellbeing. The grants we have awarded so far have helped thousands of people in communities across England to escape homelessness and move towards independence.
The 30 projects chosen for this final round will continue this good work and ensure that individuals who find themselves without a home can be supported to get their lives back on track.
Further information
Homelessness Transition Fund grant allocations
Sixty four local authority areas have received new funding to help end rough sleeping. View details of the grants:
Homelessness Link
Homeless Link is the national charity supporting organisations tackling homelessness in England. Representing the homelessness sector, we work to improve services for people experiencing homelessness, and campaign for policy change that will help end homelessness nationwide.
Homelessness Transition Fund
Funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and administered by Homeless Link, the £20 million independent Homeless Transition Fund was set up to support the government’s rough sleeping strategy ‘Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide’.
StreetLink
Streetlink is a telephone line and website available across England which enables the public to alert local services when they are concerned about someone sleeping rough and is the first step someone can take to help them to the local support. People can take action at www.streetlink.org.uk or by calling 030 0500 0914. The service is run by the charities Homeless Link and Broadway and is funded by DCLG and the Greater London Authority.
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