£30m to help homeless

THE battle to eliminate rough sleeping received a £30million boost last night from the Government.

It will distribute the cash to councils with the worst homelessness problems.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid also announced a task force of experts in addiction, mental health and housing to cut the number of people living on the streets. With an estimated 4,700 rough sleepers in the UK, he said the plans were part of the Government’s pledge to halve the total by 0 and eradicate it by 0 7.

He added: ‘This winter has tragically claimed the lives of a number of people sleeping on the streets. This is completely unacceptable in modern Britain.’