Rough sleepers across the country and in Bedford Borough will be supported off the streets and into long-term homes with £174 million funding boost. The funding, which forms part of the government’s £433 million Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, will create over 2,900 move-on homes between 2021 and 2024.
Bedford Borough Council is one of the areas benefitting from this funding where the council will purchase 10 open market properties that will provide independent living and support to rough sleepers with the highest need.
All housing provided through this programme across England, includes refurbished flats from unlettable homes in disrepair and new build properties, converted hotels and schools. The accommodation will be provided with specially-trained support workers – often from homelessness charities – who will be offering treatment for mental health issues and substance misuse to help long-term rough sleepers and newly homeless people remain in their tenancies and into employment or training.
Richard Fuller MP said:
The Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme has built on the Government’s unprecedented pandemic response to protect those who are sleeping rough, which has supported at least 37,000 individuals during the pandemic, with more than 26,000 already successfully moved on to longer-term accommodation.
The Government will be spending over £2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the next three years, demonstrating its commitment to build on recent progress. This funding for the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, which is supporting people to access housing and, crucially, specialist support to rebuild their lives and become independent again, is a further demonstration of the government's commitment to ending rough sleeping
In March 2021, the Government launched the 2021-24 phase of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, with £212 million made available for local authorities and registered providers to bid for, in order to provide move-on homes and accompanying support services to people rough sleeping or those with a history of rough sleeping. Funding made available will total £433 million over the lifetime of the programme and will provide 6,000 units across England. Allocations thus far for the 2021-24 years of the programme show £988,590 has been agreed for Bedford Borough.
