The government has pledged an additional £340 million over the next three years to help end rough sleeping. The new funding, which represents the opening investment, will provide 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people. Lambeth will be working closely with government and partners to secure a share of this funding as further details of the programme become available, helping to build on the work already underway to prevent and reduce rough sleeping in the borough.
More than 200 rough sleepers were helped off the streets by Lambeth Council last year. And the council’s homelessness prevention services have helped thousands more people access safe and secure accommodation.
Despite significant financial pressures, the council has protected many services to help rough sleepers and is continuing to invest around £5 million each year in services supporting people sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness.
Councillor Pete Elliot, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping which is a blight on society. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home, and today’s announcement recognises that homelessness cannot be solved through temporary fixes alone.
“Lambeth has long believed that the most effective response combines secure housing with personalised support. Despite the financial challenges facing local government, we have continued to protect services for some of our most vulnerable residents and with an injection of extra funding we will be able to help even more people facing or threatened with homelessness in our borough.
“We look forward to working with government and our partners to help turn this national ambition into reality.”
Lambeth’s Rough Sleeping prevention team has recently completed the recommissioning of its Adult Supported Accommodation Pathway (ASAP), which provides 338 bed spaces for single people experiencing homelessness and rough sleepers with complex support needs. The pathway includes a range of accommodation-based services, including complex needs hostels, assessment beds, and supported housing move-on hubs.
As part of the recommissioning exercise, Lambeth now has a dedicated Women’s Accommodation Pathway to provide specialist accommodation and support for women experiencing homelessness.
Working alongside partners including Thames Reach and St Mungos, Lambeth has strengthened outreach services, expanded support for people with complex needs and focused on helping people move into sustainable accommodation rather than temporary solutions.
Research by homelessness charity Crisis shows that a year of rough sleeping costs an estimated £20,128 per person, versus £1,426 for a successful prevention intervention.
