Homeless Link has welcomed the announcement from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, that it will be dedicating a further £203m to the Rough Sleeping Initiative.
Homeless Link represents 860 members across England, many of whom have been directly involved in the programme, helping thousands of people into temporary and longer-term accommodation.
Chief Executive of Homeless Link Rick Henderson said: “This funding marks a positive step forward. We have seen good progress in the last year, but this effort will need to be sustained if we are to hit the government’s target of ending rough sleeping by 2024.
“Our members stand ready to work with the Government to achieve their goal. This cannot stop at moving people off the streets into temporary accommodation. Individuals need holistic support to ensure that they are able to settle into new accommodation, find work and sustain a stable life. This is best delivered at a local level.
“We also need to look to longer term funding so that services can be planned and uncertainty removed. We need to make sure that we are properly tackling the structural causes of homelessness – otherwise people who are sleeping rough today will just be replaced by more tomorrow. With the eviction ban ending at the end of this month and the end of furlough ahead it’s crucial that government acts now to ensure that people can access the support they need to prevent their homelessness."