Beckenham councillor Christine Harris has welcomed news that Bromley
will receive an additional £103,654.00 this year to tackle rough sleeping and
support some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
The Conservatives have announced that
councils will receive a share of an additional £112 million through the Rough
Sleeping Initiative to help get people off the streets and in to safe and
secure accommodation.
It builds on the Prime Minister’s
drive to end homelessness and the announcement before Christmas of £260 million
for local authorities to help people who are homeless or at risk of losing
their homes get back on their feet.
The Rough Sleeping Initiative has
reduced the number of vulnerable people sleeping rough in the areas it has been
operating by 32 per cent since its introduction in 2018, and is a central
pillar of the government’s strategy to end rough sleeping completely by 2024.
Commenting, Christine Harris said:
“I am delighted that funding to
tackle rough sleeping in Bromley will increase to £103,654.00 this year.
“This Conservative government has
shown it is absolutely determined to end rough sleeping, and I was especially
pleased to see the government bring forward its target of achieving this from
2027 to 2024 at the last election.
“There is still a lot more we can do,
and I’ll be working with the council and local organisations to ensure the
additional funds are spent locally in the most effective way, so that no one in
our area has to sleep out in the cold this winter.”
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick
said:
“No-one should have to face a night
on the street and we have a moral duty to support those who need help the most.
It is encouraging to see more people getting the support they need, but there
is always more to do.
“We are focusing relentlessly on this
issue and our efforts have already led to the first nationwide fall in rough
sleeping in a decade – and the areas funded by our Rough Sleeping Initiative
have seen rough sleeping numbers fall around a third more than they would be
without this vital programme.
“But we need to go further. That is
why we are providing this funding so vital work can continue as we set out to
end rough sleeping once and for all.”