Hull gets £70k to tackle homelessness over winter

Hull City Council say many who are homeless have complex needs (file image)

Hull has been allocated nearly £70,000 to help deal with people sleeping rough during the winter months.

The money has been assigned from a £10m emergency support package for rough sleepers announced by the government on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Hull City Council said any additional funding was “always welcome” but said the issue was complex.

The authority said their existing outreach work with the homeless had reduced the number of people sleeping on the city’s streets from 37 in 2023 to 21 in 2024.

The council had been allocated £68,726, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“Additional funding for winter provision to get people off the streets is always welcome. However, the problem is much wider,” added the authority spokesperson.

The council explained that many who are homeless and sleeping rough had complex needs, including mental and physical health problems, addictions, domestic abuse, and other trauma related problems.

The authority urged homeless people to engage with them.

The government said that there had been a sharp rise in rough sleeping nationally, and that it was now at record levels.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: "Anyone forced to sleep rough on our streets represents a complete failure of the broken system we’ve inherited. It’s a national disgrace, and we can’t keep sticking plasters on it.”

She added: “We are approaching the harshest months of the year which is why we are taking immediate action to reach anyone sleeping rough and help them off the streets this winter.

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