Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed extra funding for local homelessness prevention services. The City of Wolverhampton has been allocated £1.9 million over the next two years to support vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. It is part of a wider £2 billion support package to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the next 2 years.
The Homelessness Prevention Grant will enable the Council to target support towards those who are most in need, including vulnerable families and people at risk of rough sleeping. Stuart welcomed the funding, which will enable the Council to continue to provide this vital support over the next 2 years. The money will be used to deliver their homelessness and rough sleeping strategies. This can include offering financial support for people to find a new home, providing temporary accommodation, or mediating with landlords to prevent evictions. It will support the Council to embed fully the Homelessness Reduction Act to ensure that no family is left without a roof over their heads, preventing more people from becoming homeless or sleeping rough.
The announcement builds on the £1 million (which includes a £142,960 top-up from 04 December 2022) of Homelessness Prevention Grant funding provided to the City of Wolverhampton Council in 2022/23. Since implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2018, over 500,000 households across the country have had their homelessness successfully prevented or relieved. We have also seen a sustained decrease in rough sleeping on a single night - with rough sleeping levels 49% lower in 2021 than the peak in 2017, according to the official snapshot.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “While we have seen a substantial, sustained decrease in rough sleeping in recent years, there is still more to do to end rough sleeping for good. This significant investment - amounting to almost £2 million over the next two years - will provide the City of Wolverhampton Council with a significant cash boost to deliver services that will prevent and tackle the causes of homelessness.”
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “The Government is determined to end rough sleeping and tackle homelessness because for too many people, the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in a warm and safe environment is beyond reach. We know that words alone are not enough. That is why government is investing £2 billion over the next 3 years to give some of the most vulnerable people a roof over their heads, along with targeted support to rebuild their lives.”
Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan, said: “Everyone should have a safe and secure home. This Government is determined to prevent homelessness and to get vulnerable families and individuals the support they need.”