Over £50 million allocated to tackle homelessness

The government announced £50 million in funding split across two programmes to support councils and organisations working on homelessness and rough sleeping. The package includes a £37 million fund for community organisations and a £15 million innovation programme targeting 28 high-pressure areas, including London.

Ministers have announced £50 million of government funding for councils and organisations working on homelessness and rough sleeping. The money is divided between two programmes designed to target people and places under the most pressure and to support community-level responses. A £37 million Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund will be awarded competitively to voluntary, community and faith groups across England to support projects, staffing and building improvements. A £15 million Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme will focus on 28 areas, including London, to trial more joined-up approaches between services. Key facts: - Total announced funding: £50 million, split into a £37 million communities fund and a £15 million innovation programme. - The £37 million fund targets voluntary, community and faith groups and will be allocated competitively to small and medium-sized organisations across England. - The £15 million programme is directed at 28 areas with the greatest long-term rough sleeping pressures, including London, and will support measures like complex case coordination and peer mentoring. - The announcement is part of the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness, which is backed by £3.6 billion and sets targets to halve long-term rough sleeping, end unlawful use of B&Bs for families, and prevent more households becoming homeless. - Reporting cited research that nearly 70% of women who experienced rough sleeping in the past year had experienced domestic abuse since age 16. Summary: The funding is intended to strengthen frontline and community-led homelessness support while testing targeted innovations in high-pressure areas. Allocations will be competitive for community organisations and directed to designated areas; further procedural or timing details are undetermined at this time.