Bristol City Council gets £300k to help rough sleepers

Bristol is among the cities most in need for extra funding

A city council has been given £300,000 to help rough sleepers move off the streets into long-term housing.

Bristol City Council received the money as part of a government £17m package to local authorities across England.

The latest government statistics showed 58 people were sleeping rough in Bristol on a single night in autumn 2022 - down from 68 the year before.

But Bristol is still among the most in need for the higher level of extra funding out of 123 councils in England.

A government spokesperson said the £300,000 will go towards providing more bed spaces for rough sleepers this winter and more long-term secure accommodation.

Ministers said its mission to help people off the streets is "even more urgent" in the current cold weather.

Other councils such as Nottingham City Council and some London boroughs also received the additional £17m funding through the government's Rough Sleeping Initiative.

Minister for rough sleeping Felicity Buchan said: "We are determined to deliver our manifesto pledge to end rough sleeping and today's announcement demonstrates our continuing commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in our society with access to a safe and warm home, backed by over £2bn of government funding over three years."

The next set of government statistics on the number of rough sleepers in Bristol is expected to be published next month.

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