£84m cash boost to help prevent homelessness and support families this winter and immediate help for children and families in temporary accommodation
Thousands of people facing homelessness will be supported by a new £84 million cash injection to councils up and down the country – ahead of winter.
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Children and families in temporary accommodation will be prioritised – with the funding to go towards helping families to cover the essentials like food, school travel and laundry. The new funding, which will support children to remain in education, will be announced on World Homeless Day (10 October).
It comes as record levels of households are in temporary accommodation, including nearly 170,000 children. Levels of rough sleeping have more than doubled since 2010.
Areas with the highest pressures, such as London, will be in line for the additional funding to tackle homelessness this year. This comes on top of the government’s almost £1 billion investment to tackle homelessness this year and includes the largest ever investment in prevention services, helping councils intervene early and stop homelessness before it happens.
The investment provides tailored services for those experiencing long-term rough sleeping – including mental health support, drug and alcohol treatment and sustainable accommodation – ensuring people get the help they need to rebuild their lives.
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Housing Secretary, Steve Reed said:
Today’s investment supports delivery of the Plan for Change, in addition to:
Homelessness Minister, Alison McGovern said:
Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said:
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The £84m cash injection includes:
This funding is supporting the government’s Plan for Change to drive long-term improvements to health and education, ensuring both families and children can truly thrive and forms part of the government’s forthcoming homelessness and child poverty strategies.
Further Information:
Further quotes welcoming the funding:
Sean Palmer, Executive Director at St Mungo’s, said:
“Record numbers of people are currently without somewhere safe and stable to live, and thousands more are at risk of losing their homes, therefore St Mungo’s welcomes the Government’s announcement of a much needed extra £84 million for homelessness services.
“Winter is a particularly challenging time for people affected by homelessness, so this injection of funding will be invaluable. It will help ensure services like St Mungo’s can continue to support people off the streets and into emergency accommodation, where they can rebuild their lives.
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“We do now need a clear and comprehensive strategy from the Government setting out how they are going to address this homelessness crisis and, alongside it, longer-term funding. This would allow local authorities and service charities like St Mungo’s to move towards sustainable interventions that end homelessness.
“St Mungo’s stands ready to work alongside Government and the sector to end homelessness for good.”
Simon Gale, CEO at Justlife, said:
“At Justlife, our frontline team see the direct impact that lack of provisions and essentials has on people who live in temporary accommodation for months or even years, putting immense strain on their health and wellbeing. This funding is a really positive step in recognising those realities and helping local areas to respond to them.
“It is now about making sure the money reaches the people and services that can make a difference, so that temporary accommodation is genuinely short, safe and healthy, and that people can move on to a stable home with dignity.”
Dr Laura Neilson, CEO of Shared Health, said:
“We welcome the announcement from MHCLG of nearly £11 million to support families with children living in temporary accommodation to access basic facilities, travel passes for school and uniform, as well as help pay for food and leisure activities.
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“Temporary Accommodation often doesn’t provide the 5 basics essential for residents’ wellbeing, health, and ability to move on from homelessness: cooking facilities, laundry access, Wi-Fi, secure storage, and clear information about the situation. “Homelessness is not just a housing issue, and we hope that this money will be spent on supporting homeless children in TA at a difficult time, including improving their access to health and education.”
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