Green Council welcome substantial £3.429m funding win following bid to Government
Green Councillors have today celebrated news that Brighton and Hove City Council has been awarded £3.429m in funding support from Government to tackle rough sleeping.
Following an agreement of Policy and Resources Committee in August, the council had already agreed to continue providing temporary housing for the city’s rough sleepers after a Government directive during lockdown.
The funds follow a request to Government for continued assistance, and will be used to sustain rough sleepers brought in during the pandemic and to support moving individuals on to longer term supported accommodation and private rented housing.
The council has also bid for money to embed more long-term housing solutions including an ambitious expansion of ‘Housing First’, a package of housing and additional support provided to homeless people to help them find permanent accommodation. Greens hope to hear if this has been successful shortly.
Whilst the funding is around 70% of funds applied for, Brighton and Hove City Council was awarded the highest amount of any local authority in England and Greens say this large award is a tribute to the hard work of council staff in preparing the bid.
Councillor David Gibson, Joint Chair of Housing Committee said:
“I am delighted that the council’s work to secure funding to support homeless people has been responded to with this latest announcement. It is not as much as we need – but it will go a long way to helping us achieve the goal of avoiding a return to the streets for rough sleepers.
“Receiving such a large award compared to other councils is a testament to council officers’ hard work, to Gill Williams the previous chair of Housing, who has played an important part in supporting rough sleepers. I think it also reflects that working together Greens and Labour can achieve more towards our ambitious housing committee pledge to avoid a return of rough sleepers to the streets.
“We have applied for a further government grant to secure important longer term accommodation and support, as we know the offer of sustainable accommodation is vital.
“We will hear in the next few days; and if this is funded in full, there is a very real possibility that we will be able to secure a sustainable housing solution for all the rough sleepers with a local connection to the city housed in the pandemic. My fingers are crossed.”