Extra homelessness funding welcomed, but long-term investment needed – charity
The department said the money should ‘bolster resources at councils to act fast when negotiating with landlords, covering emergency rent shortfalls’.
An extra £30 million in emergency funding is to be given to councils in England to help keep people at risk of eviction in their homes and support rough sleepers off the streets.
The money has been allocated after Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said remaining funds in her department should be directed towards tackling homelessness, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.
The announcement of a doubling of a previously-announced £30 million for winter pressures funding for homelessness comes as homelessness minister Rushanara Ali was set to speak at a charity summit on the subject.
Crisis, which was hosting a London summit on Tuesday on ending homelessness, said it was “pleased to see the Government providing additional funding for councils”, but added that the Government must commit to long-term investment “to address the root causes of the problem”.
Homelessness is at record highs in England, with more than 146,000 households turning to their council for help last year, the department said.
New official figures will be published on Thursday for both households in temporary accommodation and rough sleeping in England.
The department said the extra funding should “bolster resources at councils to act fast when negotiating with landlords, covering emergency rent shortfalls, and making sure people can get on with living their lives in safe and secure housing”.
The funding will go to local authorities in 295 areas which have the highest risks of homelessness through housing costs and rent arrears, including areas of London, Birmingham, Exeter and Wigan.
Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: “With homelessness at record levels, we are pleased to see the Government providing additional funding for councils.
“The situation is incredibly serious and many councils are at breaking point. A shortage of affordable and social homes combined with rising rents has forced thousands of households into poverty and homelessness. For too long councils have had to rely on costly temporary accommodation, pushing their budgets to the limit.
“As well as funding to tackle the current emergency, it’s vital the Westminster government invests long-term to address the root causes of the problem.
“We look forward to working with ministers to deliver a bold and ambitious cross-departmental strategy to end all forms of homelessness, alongside delivering the number of social homes needed to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.”
Of the latest funding, Ms Ali said: “No one should be forced to live in constant fear of losing their home and too many people are being pushed to the brink of homelessness as a direct consequence the system we’ve inherited.
“That’s why I’m providing an extra £30 million in emergency support for councils – taking real, immediate action to stop people falling through the cracks, stay in their homes, and help them rebuild their lives.
“Our Plan for Change is tackling the worst housing crisis in a generation by delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation, fixing the broken rental market and getting us back on track to end homelessness once and for all.”
Last year, the Government set up a cross-government group on tackling homelessness, with Ms Rayner pledging to end “sticking plaster” measures and instead aim to tackle the root causes of the problem.
