Initiatives to tackle rough sleeping have benefitted from over £700million as the Government works to fulfil its commitment to ending rough sleeping.
The Government has seized the COVID outbreak as an opportunity to continue its work to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, implementing a number of wide ranging initiatives aimed to find secure and long term housing for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness.
Everyone In and the Protect Programme
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has protected rough sleepers from the risks of COVID and have worked closely with local authorities and the sector to offer vulnerable people safe accommodation and support. That work began with the unprecedented ‘Everyone In’ scheme, which is ongoing and by September had successfully supported over 29,000 vulnerable people; with over 10,000 in emergency accommodation and nearly 19,000 provided with settled accommodation or move on support.
In addition to this, the recently announced Protect Programme will build on the continuing successes of ‘Everyone In’ and ensure that we protect the most vulnerable from the dangers of Covid-19 over the coming months. The Protect Programme provides £15million, alongside targeted Government support, to ensure additional support for rough sleepers is available over winter in the areas that need it most.
Winter Support Package
In addition to the Protect Programme, the Government announced a Winter Support Package to ensure local authorities and voluntary organisations have additional tools to support rough sleepers this winter. This includes:
• A £10million Cold Weather Fund for all local areas to bring forward self-contained and COVID secure accommodation this winter.
• A £2million Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund for the faith, communities and voluntary sector to move away from their traditional, communal models and provide more innovative and COVID secure options for their guests.
• Operating Principles, produced with Public Health England, to enable shelters to open more safely, as a last resort.
Next Steps Accommodation Programme and Rough Sleeping Initiative
Meanwhile, the Next Steps Accommodation Programme has made available the financial resources needed to help prevent those accommodated during the pandemic from returning to the streets.
The Government asked every local authority to prepare a detailed plan for the winter and beyond. In September, the Government announced £91.5million in allocations to 274 councils in England to pay for immediate support to ensure that as many people as possible do not return to the streets. This funding was provided to fund the rough sleeping plans we asked local authorities to produce over the summer. In October, we announced allocations to local partners to deliver more than 3,300 new long-term homes for rough sleepers across England, backed by Government investment of more than £150million. This is part of a broader £433million funding package which will provide 6,000 homes for rough sleepers over the course of the Parliament - the largest ever investment in this kind of accommodation and one which will leave a lasting legacy to this Government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable people.
The Government has also provided £112million to 291 local areas through the Rough Sleeping Initiative. By establishing and enhancing local services, this fund which is now in its third year is having a proven impact on the lives of rough sleepers.
Substance Misuse Funding
The Government believes that rough sleeping is as much a health challenges as it is a housing one, with substance misuse and mental health at the heart of the issue. For those experiencing rough sleeping who need specialist support, including many of those accommodated under the Government’s response to COVID, the Government announced £23million this year for substance misuse treatment and support. This will enable those individuals to rebuild their lives and prevent a return to the streets.
This funding is on top of the unprecedented resources already committed to councils since the start of the pandemic, including over £4.6billion in unringfenced grants, the Department of Health and Social Care’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund, £6million of emergency funding to provide relief for frontline homelessness charitable organisations, and additional funding for authorities to support care homes, high streets and the most vulnerable in their communities.
Protection for Renters
Renters have also received unprecedented levels of Government support and protection. Not only have we legislated through the Coronavirus Act 2020 to delay when landlords can evict tenants and introduced a six month stay on possession proceedings in the courts but the range of financial support being offered by this Government ensures that renters can continue paying their living costs.
This support includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £1,040 this year, and a significant investment in the Local Housing Allowance of nearly £1billion by lifting rates to the 30th percentile. For those who require additional support with their housing costs Discretionary Housing Payments are also available. This means that the Government now spends around £25billion supporting households to meet the cost of rent in the private and social rented sectors.
Homelessness Reduction Act
These measures build on the government's work since introducing the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, which has seen over 270,000 households have their homelessness successfully prevented or relieved. The recent review of the Homelessness Reduction Act found that service has improved for those who would previously have had limited support and households are receiving help both earlier and for longer.
The Government reaffirmed it's commitment to fully enforcing the Homelessness Reduction Act and continuing this work in 2020-21 by providing £263million in funding to help local authorities plan and respond to their local homelessness pressures.
Affordable Homes Programme
The Government is investing in affordable housing and in new measures to make it easier to get a foot on the property ladder. Over the next five years the Government will be investing over £12billion in new affordable homes, which will provide up to 180,000 units across England, should economic conditions allow. Social rent homes will be provided in all areas, with extra funding made available in areas of higher affordability pressure. The Programme is now open in London and will be open in the rest of the country soon.
The programme will unlock a further £38 billion in public and private investment in affordable housing. New homes will be made available from next year.
Spending Review
Most recently this Government reiterated its commitment to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping at the Spending Review, announcing an additional £254million of resource funding, including the £103million announced at Budget 2020 for accommodation and substance misuse support next year. This takes total resource funding in 2021-22 to £676million - a 60% increase compared to Spending Review 2019. Meanwhile, the Government will also commit £87 million of capital funding in 2021-22, primarily to support the delivery of long-term accommodation for rough sleepers, as announced at Budget 2020.
In Swindon
To tackle rough sleeping and homelessness in Swindon, the Government awarded Swindon Borough Council £650k last month to provide a permanent place to live for rough sleepers. In March, the Government also provided £460k for maintenance to Swindon Borough Council’s Haven temporary winter accommodation project, and additional staff for its Housing First Team.
