Industry News
New Rough Sleepers strategy launched with £2bn support package
T
he Government has published a new £2billion strategy aimed at putting a roof over the heads of thousands of people living
on the streets and ending rough sleeping for good. Te package of measures, includes a commitment to provide the following:
• 14,000 beds and 3,000 support staff this year to help individuals find work and access mental health services;
• An extra 2,400 long-term supported homes to be created for those with the most complex needs; and
• To break the cycle of addiction and rough sleeping, drug and alcohol treatment services will be expanded.
Te cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy is backed by £2 billion and builds on previous actions which have seen a 43 per cent drop in rough sleeping since 2019 with rough sleeping now at an 8-year low. Te allocations include up to £500 million over
3 years for the Rough Sleeping Initiative, which this year will help provide 14,000 beds for rough sleepers and 3,000 staff to provide tailored support across England. Tis includes helping individuals find work, manage their finances and access mental and physical health services. An extra 2,400 long-term supported homes
for those with the most complex needs, including young people, will also be provided, through a new £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme. Tis is on top of 3,200 homes that have already been delivered. To break the cycle of addiction and rough
sleeping, the Government is also expanding its Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant programme to an additional 20 areas in England, bringing the total to 83. Te scheme provides funding for substance misuse treatment services for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough. Secretary of State for Housing Greg Clark said:
To improve transparency and accountability for the mission to end rough sleeping, the Government has said it will publish quarterly data showing progress in delivering against the strategies aims
“Ending rough sleeping in this parliament is an important manifesto commitment. We’ve made great strides towards that goal in the last few years, and this strategy backed by £2 billion of support will give some of the most vulnerable people in our society a roof over their heads and targeted support so they can rebuild their lives. “Te full weight of government is behind this
very necessary pledge and this landmark strategy will give us the right tools to identify people at risk of rough sleeping earlier and provide the help they need.” To improve transparency and accountability for
the mission to end rough sleeping, the Government has said it will publish quarterly data showing progress in delivering against the strategies aims. Mr Clark added: “Finally, as part of our support
we are repealing the outdated Vagrancy Act as no-one should be criminalised simply for having
nowhere to live. However, to ensure we don’t weaken the ability of police to protect the public and communities from crime and anti-social behaviour we are considering bringing forward new legislation, while also embedding rehabilitation and support at the heart of our approach.” Interim CEO at St Mungo’s homeless charity
Rebecca Sycamore said: “As a leading homelessness charity we know first-hand how important it is to focus on the root causes of rough sleeping in order to help break that cycle. We deliver a huge range of services to support people out of homelessness and into rebuilding their lives and so welcome this new strategy. “Currently there is a significant gap in supported
accommodation for people with complex needs and the announcement of an extra 2,400 homes in particular, is a step forward to helping people sustain a life away from the streets.”
Simon Clarke is the latest housing secretary
Simon Clarke has been named as the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary of State in the new cabinet announced by incoming Prime Minister Liz Truss. Te MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland was previously the chief secretary to
the Treasury, a role he held since September 2021. Earlier in his political career he was Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government. He is the fourth person to hold the housing brief
in the past 12 months, following in the footsteps of Robert Jenrick, Michael Gove and Greg Clark.
16 | HMMOctober/November 2022 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
Mr Clarke has inherited a busy brief with several
White Papers and consultations underway, which include far reaching changes in both the private and social rented sectors. In the past he has supported measures
tackling climate change, while also advocating regeneration and more housebuilding although while at the Treasury he wrote to Michael Gove restricting the amount of public funding available to fix safety issues on high-rise buildings above 11 metres.
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