Dacorum Borough Council have announced that they have been successful in a bid to the Rough Sleeper Initiative, allowing them to deliver projects that are to play a vital role in eradicating rough sleeping and homelessness in the borough.
Awarded through the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the funding will be used to deliver the Dacorum Street Outreach programme, that will see two dedicated Street Outreach workers that will work with rough sleepers. Those being helped will be given tailored support so that trust can be built and necessary services provided, with the aim of bringing people off the streets and into safe accommodation.
The council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, Cllr Margaret Griffiths, said:
“I’m very pleased to confirm our successful bid for funding, which will enable the continued development of key initiatives delivered in partnership with DENS and Hightown Housing Association. Three-year funding enables us to provide service stability for providers and for our initiatives to develop, evolve and adapt to new emerging issues. This is fantastic news for Dacorum, and most importantly for the residents who are most in need of the vital support the services will provide.”
The council’s Homeless Prevention Team will work alongside DENS Day Centre and a hostel to ensure that the approach to tackling rough sleeping is collaborative and coherent. The funding has also allowed the council to extend their Housing First initiative, which is a ‘highly innovative’ approach to combatting homelessness in people with highly complex needs. It approaches this by providing extensive holistic support to allow them to sustain their tenancies and achieve long-term
