The Conservative Government has made excellent progress on its commitment to end rough sleeping. We have seen a sustained decrease in rough sleeping on a single night, with rough sleeping levels 49% lower in 2021 than the peak in 2017, according to the official snapshot, and over half a million households have been supported to secure accommodation since the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act.
In December, the Government announced the allocation of £654 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant that will be made available to local authorities in 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Reacting to the announcement, Gedling’s MP, Tom Randall said: “To reduce homelessness further, I am delighted that Gedling Borough Council has been allocated £539,923 of the Government's £654 million Homelessness Prevention Grant. £267,833 will be paid to the Council in 2023/24 and £272,090 in 2024/25 to support them to deliver services to prevent and tackle homelessness across Gedling.”
This ringfenced grant will be provided upfront each year and can be used flexibly by Gedling Borough Council to deliver their homelessness and rough sleeping strategies - by offering financial support for people to find a new home, providing temporary accommodation, working with landlords to prevent evictions or other measures to prevent homelessness.
The Homelessness Prevention Grant will support Gedling Borough Council to embed fully the Homelessness Reduction Act and prevent more people from becoming homeless or sleeping rough.
This funding builds on the £366 million (which includes the £50 million top-up from 04 December 2022) of Homelessness Prevention Grant funding provided to local authorities in 2022/23.
