Government funding of £3.6m to tackle rough sleeping
- 21 Jan
Homeless charities have been given £3.6m from a government fund to tackle rough sleeping in England.
Grants from the Homelessness Transition Fund have been given to 23 charities, out of £20m funding for the No Second Night Out project, tackling rough sleeping.
Almost £16m has been invested so far through the Homelessness Transition Fund to help 85 charities across the country.
Midland Heart, a charity in the West Midlands, said their grant of £170,940 would help rough sleepers break out of homelessness.
Chris Munday, from Midland Heart, said:
This grant will fund a really important project which enables us to help entrenched rough sleepers to break out of a cycle of homelessness and into sustained accommodation.
He said that by offering "individually tailored support" the charity can help rough sleepers to get back on their feet and ultimately to live independent lives.
The grants range from £200,000 given to charities helping homeless people in Derby and Manchester to almost £83,000 awarded to a scheme in Lowestoft helping people who have become homeless after the decline of the fishing industry in the area. Two schemes helping homeless people in Sheffield get grants of £176,873 and £87,032.
According to Homeless Link, a national charity supporting individuals and organisations working directly with homeless people in England, more than 6,000 people have been helped off the streets or away from sleeping rough by the grants made so far.
Sharon Allen, from Homeless Link, said funding will ensure more rough sleepers get the support they need:
Anyone can become homeless and life on the streets is damaging and dangerous.
Housing Minister Mark Prisk said:
Nobody should have to face a second night on the streets, and today's cash will mean that local services can ensure no-one has to.
Homelessness Transition Fund grants
- Noah Enterprise, Bedfordshire - £183,799
- SIFA Fireside, Birmingham - £89,879
- Riverside ECHG, Derby - £200,000
- The Cyrenians, Durham - £198,353
- Riverside ECHG, Greater Manchester - £200,000
- The Purfleet Trust, King's Lynn - £106,277
- The Foxton Centre, Lancashire - £197,360
- CRI, Leeds - £189,931
- Action Homeless, Leicester - £199,849
- Depaul UK, London - £192,734
- SHP, London - £95,453
- Elim Connect Centre, Mendip - £117,810
- Framework HA, Nottingham - £123,772
- Peterborough Streets - £137,797
- Petrus, Rochdale - £199,108
- Cathedral Archer Project, Sheffield - £176,873
- ASSIST, Sheffield - £87,032
- HARP, Southend-on-Sea - £122,537
- Brighter Futures, Warrington - £199,831
- St John's Housing Trust, Lowestoft - £82,931
- Midland Heart - £170,940
- Wirral Churches Ark Project - £156,939
- P3, Wolverhampton - £198,647
Source: BBC News
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