Calderdale Council handed £404,846 to tackle homelessness

The Government’s Homelessness Prevention Grant will support households in England who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.

Calderdale Council has been awarded £404,846 from the grant.

The Council will use the funding to help them find a new home, access support for unexpected evictions and secure temporary accommodation where needed.

Minister for Rough Sleeping, Eddie Hughes MP, said: “I have seen first-hand the devastation of those who come face to face with homelessness, and my heart goes out to anyone in this situation.

“The support we are announcing today is going directly to communities that need it most.

“It will help thousands of people across England, with councils able to prevent homelessness before it occurs and put a roof over the heads of those who have lost their homes.”

The Homelessness Prevention Grant, available for 2022/23, is on top of the recently-announced £66 million to provide rough sleepers with safe and warm accommodation and drug and alcohol treatment services this winter, and £65 million support package for vulnerable renters struggling due to the impact of the pandemic.

Overall, the government is investing £2 billion over the next three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Recent funding has enabled councils across the country to deliver practical, on the ground support for homeless people.

Calderdale Council has used government funding to provide 25 units of self-contained flats and long term accommodation to help prevent homelessness and drive down the number of rough sleepers in the local area.

These units offer a range of on-site support for residents including support on how best to ‘Move on’ and an NHS run Wound Clinic to treat emergency injuries and provide access to sexual health, drug and alcohol services.

Councillor Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, said: “We understand the impact that rough sleeping and homelessness can have on individuals, families and communities. Everyone affected has their own story, and the circumstances can be very complex and distressing. We do all we can, working with local partner organisations, to offer people hope and a stronger future through support, advice and accommodation.

“We have made significant progress, and every step we’ve taken has brought hope to those living street-based lifestyles, helping them to rebuild their lives. We know there is still more to do, and the financial support from the Government helps us to make this happen.”

The Government has also announced a £28 million funding boost to help rough sleepers get their COVID-19 vaccines and move into safe accommodation.

The Protect and Vaccinate scheme will help to increase vaccine uptake among people who are homeless and sleeping rough, by supporting outreach work in shelters to educate people about the dangers of the virus, giving money to councils to provide safe and secure accommodation while their level of vaccination is increased and delivering mobile vaccinations.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said: “To end homelessness we need to prevent people being forced from their homes in the first place, so this funding for vital local authority services is very welcome.

“With the appalling rise in domestic abuse during lockdowns and the pandemic forcing many more into homelessness, it is especially important that councils in England will have more money to provide accommodation for survivors.”

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