More than 590 new homes for rough sleepers in North West England have been approved

MORE than 590 new long term homes for rough sleepers across the North West have been approved, the Minister for Rough Sleeping Kelly Tolhurst MP where announced, on 29 October 2020.  Backed by Government investment of more than ₤150 million the new homes will be made available in every Region of England. This will enable people who sleep rough, or at risk of sleeping rough, to be re-housed in secure, long term accommodation, providing some of the most vulnerable in society with a permanent place to live and help to rebuild their lives.

These will be available by the end of March 2021 and are part of the Government's investment of ₤433 million to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers by the end of this Parliament. In March the Government launched the:- 'Everyone In' campaign to house rough sleepers in safe accommodation, helping to protect thousands of lives during the Pandemic. By September over 29,000 vulnerable people had been supported, with over 10,000 in emergency accommodation and nearly 19,000 provided with settled accommodation or move on support.

Kelly Tolhurst, Minister for Housing and Rough Sleeping said:- "The efforts to protect rough sleepers throughout the Pandemic have been truly outstanding, and I want to wholeheartedly thank all the charities, Councils, housing providers and support groups who have made this possible. We want to ensure the progress continues for years to come and the new, safe and supported homes in the Region, including in Manchester, Wigan and Rochdale, are the cornerstone of our work to tackle rough sleeping and provide a solid foundation for those affected to rebuild their lives."

Councillor Suzanne Richards, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration said:- "The Pandemic continues to impact every part of our lives and housing insecurity is a big worry for many people who would never have considered themselves at risk of homelessness. It has highlighted even more starkly the need for more secure and affordable accommodation for vulnerable people in our city. This financial support is a step in the right direction and will help us to help people who are ready to take the next steps in their journey out of homelessness and into stable accommodation."

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council's Lead Member on Homelessness said:- "This is crucial funding, which will allow us to buy flats that will make a real and lasting impact on the lives of people who have fallen on difficult times. 1 of the biggest pressures that we have faced is a lack of accommodation for people to live when they have come off the streets. Securing a long term solution is crucial if we are to give people stability and prevent them returning to a life on the streets. Since the Pandemic started, we have helped several people who came off the streets to get their lives back on track with the right support that they need to start their recovery."

In total, 276 schemes have been approved across England, including 38 in London alone, which will provide 904 new homes for rough sleepers. Outside of London, 238 Councils have received approval to move to the next phase of development, encompassing 2,430 new homes.

This funding is on top of the ₤91.5 million allocated to 274 Councils in September to fund their individual local plans for rough sleepers over the coming months, and to help provide short-term and interim accommodation for vulnerable people, as well as the ₤10 million Cold Weather Payment for Councils to help to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.

Once they have the keys to their new home, rough sleepers will be supported by specialist staff to access the help they need, such as support for mental health or substance misuse needs, so they can rebuild their lives, move towards training and work, and remain off the streets for good.

During the Pandemic, the Government has worked closely with Councils and charitable organisations to offer vulnerable people safe accommodation and support.

Thanks to the funding provided by this Government, and the efforts of charities, Local Government and other partners, in just over 2 months, more than 90% of rough sleepers known to Councils at the beginning of the Pandemic were offered accommodation to help protect them.