Latest Public Sector News

10.06.14

Government boosts funding to tackle homelessness

A new funding pot of £65m from across Whitehall is being offered to local authorities to tackle homelessness. 

The funding is being invested across five programmes. Launched today, there is the Help for Single Homeless Fund, which aims to improve services for single people facing the prospect of homelessness. 

The prospectus for the fund invites groups of local authorities to bid for up to £250,000 over (2014 to 2015 and 2015 to 2016) to help prevent single homelessness. Up to £8m is available over two years (up to £3m in 2014 to 2015 and up to £5m in 2015 to 2016). There will be one bidding round, and the deadline for submitting bids is 5pm 8 August 2014.

 

Secondly is the £15m Fair Chance Fund  (launched in February) an innovative “payments by results” scheme, that will provide accommodation, education, training and employment opportunities for around 2,000 of our most vulnerable young homeless people. 

The DCLG says that grant applications may range in size from a minimum £500,000 to a maximum £3m, and it anticipates awarding between five and fifteen grants, with a total value of up to £15m over the life of the fund. Applications, though, will also need to demonstrate clear local authority commitment to a robust referral process which can be established and running by January 2015. Full bids will need to have full local authority support in each of the areas they want to work. 

Thirdly, a total of £41.5m will be shared between Homelessness Change and Platform for Life Homelessness Change funding to provide tailored temporary hostel accommodation for rough sleepers to get them off the streets and transform their lives through health, training and education facilities 

Fourthly, more than £580,000 will be used extend the Homelessness Gold Standard scheme into 2014 to 2015. The council-led support scheme helps councils improve their frontline housing services for families and single homeless people. 

This is all in addition to the £470m of funding that the government has maintained since 2010 to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness and the No Second Night Out scheme, which it claims has helped thousands of people off the streets since its launch in 2011 and aims to ensure no-one spends a second night sleeping rough. 

Housing minister Kris Hopkins said: “People at risk of homelessness need more than just a roof over their head. They also need help with their education, employment and health so they have the right skills, confidence and opportunities to succeed. 

“That’s why this government has increased spending on preventing homelessness and why we’ve worked hard to ensure that homelessness acceptances are now lower than in 27 of the last 30 years.” 

Tell us what you think – have your say below or email [email protected]

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

public sector executive tv

more videos >

last word

Prevention: Investing for the future

Prevention: Investing for the future

Rob Whiteman, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance (CIPFA), discusses the benefits of long-term preventative investment. Rising demand, reducing resource – this has been the r more > more last word articles >

public sector focus

View all News

comment

Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

21/06/2019Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

Taking time to say thank you is one of the hidden pillars of a society. Bei... more >
How community-led initiatives can help save the housing shortage

19/06/2019How community-led initiatives can help save the housing shortage

Tom Chance, director at the National Community Land Trust Network, argues t... more >

interviews

Artificial intelligence: the devil is in the data

17/12/2018Artificial intelligence: the devil is in the data

It’s no secret that the public sector and its service providers need ... more >