Millions to be spent on support for rough sleepers

Plan to tackle homlessness in County Durham announced

More than £6m is to be spent tackling homelessness following a council's successful bid for funding.

The money will be used for new accommodation and extra support for those already sleeping rough or at risk of losing their home.

Durham County Council wants to increase the number of beds for vulnerable adults and those aged 18 to 25.

Cabinet member James Rowlandson said the authority was "committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness".

"This project isn’t just aimed at providing accommodation – it includes intensive wraparound support, tailored to each individual to help them turn their lives around and regain their independence,” Mr Rowlandson said.

"This funding will help us to continue providing this support."

Durham County Council wants to end homelessness in the area

The council will allocate £1.8m towards the scheme with a further £1.6m coming from The Department for Levelling Up over three years.

About £2.7m has been provided by Homes England to help create 32 new accommodation spaces.

Some of this will have 24-hour support with the rest receiving regular visits from a specialist team the council plans to bring in to run the scheme.

Durham County Council has previously spent £300,000 to transform a former community centre in Shildon into flats for rough sleepers.

The People's Centre was designed to help those who did not want to leave the town but had nowhere to live, but closed in 2016.

During the Covid pandemic the authority also spent more than £500,000 on accommodation for more than 100 rough sleepers as part of the national "get everyone in" initiative.

The council said it began a review of its homelessness provision two years ago and about 120 people were found living on the streets in 2022-23.

It found most rough sleepers in Durham City but said the issue was also affecting Consett, Peterlee and Seaham.