Yorkshire council handed £3.4m grant to help it reduce homelessness

LEEDS CITY council has won a £3.4m “windfall” grant from the Government to help the city continue to tackle homelessness.

The two-year Flexible Homelessness Support Grant will primarily be used to help the authority cut down the use of hostels and temporary placements.

A new report detailing the grant says: “The Flexible Homelessness Support Grant (FHSG) allocation for the next two years represents a significant windfall for Leeds City Council and is a positive reflection of the success Leeds has had in preventing homelessness and reducing temporary accommodation placements.

“The proposals will better enable the council to increase homeless prevention and further reduce temporary accommodation placements.”

Leeds has been allocated £1.636m in 2017/18 and £1.794m in 2018/19. The report adds: “The purpose of the new FHSG is to give local authorities greater control on the use of resources to tackle homelessness. Each authority should, in principle, be able to use FHSG to invest in prevention services/interventions that reduce the number and cost of temporary accommodation placements.”

The new grant is being implemented at the same time as the Homelessness Reduction Bill being passed through Parliament. The Bill, when enacted, will place a legal duty on councils to offer personalised housing advice packages that aim to prevent homelessness.