Newcastle Labour has welcomed a major new Government drive to help people sleeping rough off the streets and into safe accommodation by Christmas.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham today announced an additional £442 million to support action across England this winter, just one month after making ending rough sleeping his first instruction as Prime Minister.
The funding will support councils, mayors, charities and community organisations to provide emergency accommodation alongside practical help with housing, health and other needs, giving people the support they need to move away from homelessness for good.
For Newcastle, the announcement will mean additional national support for the work already taking place across the city to prevent homelessness and support some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The programme will learn from the approach taken during the pandemic, when councils and their partners worked quickly to bring people sleeping rough indoors.
As well as immediate accommodation this winter, the Government’s investment will help provide more than 1,000 settled homes nationally over the next three years, backed by intensive support.
Cllr Ged Bell, Leader of Newcastle Labour Group, said:
“Nobody in Newcastle should have to spend a night sleeping in a doorway or on the streets, particularly during the coldest months of the year.
“Newcastle’s charities, voluntary organisations and frontline services already work incredibly hard to support people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, but this challenge cannot be tackled by any one organisation alone.
“This additional funding and the Prime Minister’s determination to bring together national and local government, charities, health services, businesses and community organisations is exactly the kind of joined-up approach we need.
“Newcastle Labour is calling on the council administration to work constructively with the Labour Government, the Mayor and our voluntary and community sector to make sure Newcastle takes full advantage of this support and that this national commitment translates into real help for people here in our city.”
The Government has also announced £8.4 million for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, supporting smaller charities and community organisations working directly with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
New guidance will also ask local areas to ensure appropriate provision is available for women sleeping rough, including consideration of women-only accommodation and specialist trauma-informed support for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
“No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.
“I won’t accept it. That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.”
The Prime Minister will also host a national summit this autumn, bringing together representatives from business, finance, charities, health services and faith communities to look at how every part of society can contribute towards ending rough sleeping.
The announcement provides an opportunity to build on local work to prevent homelessness while ensuring people who do find themselves on the streets can quickly access safe accommodation and the support they need to rebuild their lives.
Newcastle Labour is calling on the council administration to engage fully with the Government and work with partners across the city to secure the maximum possible benefit from the new programme for Newcastle. Labour councillors will support constructive action that helps prevent homelessness and gets people off the streets this winter.