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Autumn Budget 2024: £233m announced to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping
The chancellor of the exchequer has announced £233m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in the Autumn Budget.
Delivering Labour’s first Budget in 14 years on Wednesday, Rachel Reeves said local authorities will receive £1.3bn of additional grant funding “to deliver essential services”.
She said this includes “at least” £600m in grant funding for social care and, according to newly published Budget documents, £233m to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.
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Ms Reeves said: “Madam deputy speaker, to repair our public services, we also need to work alongside our mayors and local leaders.
“We will deliver a significant real-terms funding increase for local governments next year, including £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services, with at least £600m in grant funding for social care and £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.”
She also confirmed that Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first mayoral authorities to receive integrated settlements from next year, “giving mayors meaningful control of the funding for their local areas”.
Ahead of the Budget, Ms Reeves confirmed a £500bn top-up for the Affordable Homes Programme and a five-year rent settlement for social landlords.
The chancellor also announced that the government’s Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments will be extended, with an additional £1bn funding from next year.
Ms Reeves said that the extensions “would help those facing financial hardship with the cost of essentials”.
The Household Support Fund allows councils to help families via foodbanks, warm spaces and food vouchers. It will now run until the end of March 2025.
It has been given a £421m extension, which the government said “gives certainty to local authorities across England over the winter months”.
The rest of the £1bn will be allocated to Discretionary Housing Payments, which are available for anyone entitled to housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who needs further help with housing costs.
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Webinar: What does the 2024 Autumn Budget mean for housing?
With a target to build 1.5 million homes, this new government has pledged to deliver safe and decent homes. Will they deliver a budget that supports these ambitions?
The National Housing Federation has set out its asks for the government, including a 10-year rent settlement and a boost to the Affordable Homes Programme, but with the expectation that the budget will deliver some tough decisions, how will the housing sector fare?
Join Inside Housing and a panel of experts as we take the first in-depth look at what the budget means for the sector.
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