British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a £442 million funding package aimed at tackling rough sleeping and helping people experiencing homelessness move into safe and settled accommodation.
The funding will support emergency accommodation as well as practical assistance with housing, healthcare and other essential needs.
According to a report published on the Home Office website on Wednesday, the government said the programme would provide immediate routes off the streets while helping rough sleepers transition into more permanent accommodation.
The announcement comes one month after Burnham made ending rough sleeping his first instruction as Prime Minister, signalling his administration’s commitment to addressing homelessness as a national priority.
Burnham also announced plans for a national summit in the autumn, which will bring together leaders from the business and financial sectors, charities, healthcare organisations and faith communities.
The summit is expected to examine how different sectors can work together to reduce rough sleeping and provide long-term solutions for people without stable accommodation.
The government said the £442 million package would be fully funded from uncommitted budgets within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
It said the funding would enable local authorities and partner organisations to provide immediate support to people living on the streets while developing pathways towards sustainable housing.
Rough sleepers are people who live and sleep in the open air or in places not intended for human habitation because they do not have secure or stable accommodation. Such locations can include streets, park benches, doorways, vehicles and abandoned buildings.
However, while all rough sleepers are homeless, not everyone experiencing homelessness sleeps rough. Some homeless people stay temporarily in hostels, shelters or with friends and family.
The government said the latest intervention was designed not only to respond to the immediate needs of people sleeping rough but also to address some of the underlying challenges that keep people trapped in homelessness.
The announcement forms part of the government’s broader efforts to strengthen housing support and ensure that people experiencing homelessness have access to the assistance needed to move into safe and settled accommodation.
