Posted 24.06.20
GOV.UK: Further reading
Housing Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick has announced that interim housing is to be provided for thousands of rough sleepers taken off the streets during the pandemic.
An additional £105 million will be used to support rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness into tenancies of their own - including through help with deposits for accommodation - and securing thousands of alternative rooms already available and ready for use, such as student accommodation.
The announcement comes as plans to provide 6,000 long-term, safe homes continue at pace, to ensure the work being done to take society's most vulnerable off the streets during the pandemic has a lasting impact.
Last month, the government unveiled plans to support thousands of rough sleepers currently housed in emergency accommodation to move on to more sustainable, long-term housing, with 3,300 additional supported homes to be provided this year.
A further £16 million is also being provided so that vulnerable people currently in emergency accommodation can access they specialist help they need for substance misuse issues.
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Posted 16.06.20
Homeless Link: Further reading
The Atlas of London Homelessness Services, delivered by the London Housing Foundation (LHF) in partnership with Homeless Link, provides a unique overview of the volume and composition of homelessness services in London for people with experience of or at risk of sleeping rough.
It has proved invaluable for homelessness professionals over the last year, and the 2020 edition is now live with the latest data and new features.
Services and statistics can be viewed across London, by borough or at a multi-borough level.
The interactive maps and data visuals of services - including day centres, accommodation services, outreach teams and Housing First provision, alongside CHAIN data and the Government's annual rough sleeping statistics - help people to understand real time service provision.
As the sector emerges from the immediate public health crisis or the Coronavirus, plans are underway to move people placed in emergency accommodation during lockdown into more permanent and sustainable accommodation.
The Atlas will be a key source of information during this transition period as organisations work together to end rough sleeping.
The above link provides access to view and use the Atlas.
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Posted 12.06.20
Centrepoint: Further reading
At the start of the coronavirus lockdown, the Government's 'Everybody In' scheme directed councils to bring all rough sleepers in from the streets.
Emergency accommodation was offered to 5,400 people, including rooms in hotels and B&Bs that were otherwise unused.
This strategy has no doubt saved lives, but as lockdown eases and council contracts with hotels come to an end, the future is uncertain for many homeless people.
The Prime Minister's advisor on rough sleeping, Dame Louise Casey, has called on charities to help with housing rough sleepers so that they do not return to the streets.
In this article, Centrepoint responds to the Government's call for help and also comments on the wider strategy needed to prevent and end homelessness.
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Posted 10.06.20
Homeless Link: Further reading
These webinars provide participants with an overview of the updated situation as homelessness services prepare and respond to COVID-19.
The webinars are freely available and will be of particular interest to managers, commissioners and frontline workers in the homelessness sector.
They are produced weekly and the June webinars (as well as previous ones) can be accessed from the above link.
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Posted 08.06.20
GOV.UK: Further reading
Homelessness Minister Luke Hall has announced that charities supporting vulnerable rough sleepers will be able to continue their vital work, backed by £6 million of government funding.
A total of 132 charities across England will have access to the funding, meaning they can continue to support those experiencing homelessness during coronavirus and beyond.
This includes providing beds for those who need it as well as the specialist physical and mental health help they need to recover from life on the streets.
The funding is part of a £750 million package of government support for UK charities who may have been impacted by the pandemic - £360 million of which is dedicated to offering a lifeline to charities working to end homelessness.
Successful bids include:
To ensure that the funds were shared fairly, the process was managed independently by Homeless Link.
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