MP praises cash help for the homeless
MP WELCOMES AID DIRECTED AT ROUGH SLEEPERS
BURTON MP Kate Griffiths has welcomed the news that the Government is providing funding for East Staffordshire Borough Council for new, long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people.
In total, projects across England will receive more than £150 million to deliver more than 3,300 such secure homes by the end of March 2021, providing long-term accommodation to vulnerable people to keep them safe from coronavirus and rebuild their lives.
East Staffordshire Borough Council will receive £241,251 for local schemes that provide secure “move on”-style accommodation for people at risk of sleeping on the streets.
This is part of the Government’s investment of £433 million to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers by the end of this Parliament and builds on the Everyone In campaign launched at the start of the pandemic which has helped support over 29,000 vulnerable people, enabling councils to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.
In total, 276 schemes have been approved across England, which will deliver 904 new homes for rough sleepers in London and 2,430 elsewhere across the country.
This sits alongside the £91.5 million in grant funding given to councils to support vulnerable people and provide short term accommodation over the coming months, and a £10 million Cold Weather Fund to support winter shelters and ensure they are Covid-secure.
Ms Griffiths said: “This Government has shown throughout the pandemic that it will take whatever action necessary to keep some of the most vulnerable people in our community safe.
“On behalf of everyone I’d like to thank all those involved for everything they’ve done to get people off our streets and into secure, safe accommodation. This was something I called for early on in the pandemic and pressed ministers for support to help rough sleepers off the streets for good. The Everyone In campaign has protected thousands of lives. If we are to deliver on the promise we made in our manifesto to end rough sleeping by the end of the Parliament, then the people who have been helped need to be able to access long-term housing that gives them the safety and security they need to rebuild their lives.”
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Our Everyone In plan is widely considered the most effective action taken by any country in the world to protect those sleeping rough from the pandemic. And that work hasn’t stopped - 29,000 rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been supported into safe accommodation since the start of Covid-19.
“The next step in our mission is to ensure they have a more settled home. Which is why we are providing over £150 million, as part of the biggest ever investment in homes for the homeless, to deliver over 3,000 new long-term homes across England, giving them the stability and security they need to start to rebuild their lives.”