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Government opens bidding for £212m supported housing fund for rough sleepers
Councils across England are now able to bid for a share of the government’s £212m fund for long-term supported homes for rough sleepers.
Homelessness charities have welcomed the launch of the multimillion-pounds fund, which is part of the government’s ambition to deliver 6,000 new supported homes by the end of this parliament.
The fund is for long-term accommodation for former rough sleepers and will see residents supported by specialist staff to access support for issues such as mental health and substance misuse.
Homes will be made available in every region of England, the government said.
The £212m fund was first announced by the government in May last year as part of its plans to find accommodation for the thousands of rough sleepers who were accommodated as part of the ‘Everyone In’ scheme.
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In addition the £212m, the government has previously allocated £161m to councils as part of a pledge to deliver 3,300 supported homes by the end of this financial year.
However, that funding came under fire from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee earlier this month when it accused the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of “disappointing evasiveness” over its ability to provide 3,300 homes for rough sleepers by the end of this month as previously suggested.
It added that the £161m funding was a “short-term and reactive” strategy as the majority of these homes were expected to be leased or purchased existing buildings rather than new additions to the housing stock.
According to the government, 37,000 individuals have been supported by the Everyone In initiative, which saw councils tasked with finding emergency accommodation for all homeless people during the pandemic.
Of this 37,000, 26,000 have already moved on to longer-term accommodation, the government said.
On today’s funding, housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Since the start of the pandemic we made it a priority to protect rough sleepers through our ongoing Everyone In campaign, which has supported more than 37,000 people into long-term accommodation.
“To build on this progress we are making the biggest ever investment in longer-term accommodation for rough sleepers so they can have a secure, safe and comfortable home and rebuild their lives.
“Councils have played an outstanding role in protecting rough sleepers throughout the pandemic and today’s funding is a further opportunity to work together to achieve our mission of ending rough sleeping once and for all.”
James Jamieson, chair of the Local Government Association, said: “It is vital that we build on the success of councils, government and partners in getting rough sleepers off the streets during the pandemic and make this the new normal rather than a one-off emergency response.
“This investment will help to transform the lives of people sleeping rough and ensure they get the crucial support they need and a roof above their head.
“Councils stand ready to play their part in the cross-government drive to end rough sleeping altogether and make sure no one suffers the tragedy of becoming homeless.”
Steve Douglas, chief executive of St Mungo’s, said: “This is welcome news, and what we hope will be the next step in the development of a long-term strategy to end rough sleeping for good.
“We saw unprecedented collaboration between national, regional and local government, health agencies, homelessness organisations and housing associations in the response to the pandemic.
“That response undoubtedly saved lives. We must now ensure that this recognition that longer-term planning and funding for the homes and the health support that is necessary is a cross-government commitment.”
