Housing Minister Yvette Cooper announced the details of nineteen projects across England that have been awarded funding to develop new ways of preventing homelessness and reducing the number of households living in temporary accommodation.
The schemes range from a crash pad offering accommodation and support for youngsters at risk of homelessness because of parental disputes, to rent deposit schemes and a high street property shop giving homeless households better access to private sector properties.
The Homelessness Innovation Fund is part of the Government's strategy to cut the number of households in temporary accommodation by 50% by 2010. The £2 million plus awarded to these schemes is expected to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by 4,000 and prevent 2,400 new cases of homelessness.
Other schemes to receive funding include:
The Homelessness Innovation Fund was launched in June with the aim of promoting innovative ways of working to reduce the use of temporary accommodation and develop more effective homelessness prevention. The Fund aims to encourage partnership and co-operation with and between statutory and voluntary agencies at a national, regional, or sub-regional level.
A new study commissioned by the homelessness charity St Mungos concludes that the average life expectancy of a rough sleeper and hostel resident is now only 42 years. Of particular concern is the comparison with findings ten years ago, when the average was five years higher at 47 years.
The Charity campaigns for better health care for the homeless and argues in favour of programmes that take doctors into hostels to tackle growing ill health problems.
