Funds released to help rough sleepers in South West
- Published
Services for rough sleepers in Devon and Cornwall will receive £1.8m from a government fund.
The support is part of a £30m package to help people living on the streets in England into accommodation.
Housing Secretary James Brokenshire said the government wanted to "eliminate" rough sleeping by 2027.
But a homeless charity in Cornwall has questioned whether the funds are "new money" or a top-up of cash already given to the county.
The number of rough sleepers in England was estimated to be 4,751 in 2017, up 617 from autumn 2016.
In addition to Cornwall Council, four district councils in Devon will benefit from the fund.
Funding for the South West:
Cornwall Council - £437,489
Plymouth City Council - £363,280
North Devon Council - £285,948
Torbay Council - £279,785
Exeter City Council - £481,600
Cornwall Council says it plans to use the money to increase "crisis hostel accommodation" by six bed spaces a year, to do more to help those sleeping outdoors in cold weather and provide better access to supported and private rented accommodation.
Steve Ellis of the St Petroc's Society, which works with single homeless people in Cornwall, said he wanted to know more about the origins of the money.
"How much is new money?" he asked. "Are there any strings attached to it in terms of how the county may be able to spend it?"
Mr Ellis added: "Let's hope it's an opportunity for us to be inventive and innovative in how we tackle the problem in Cornwall."
Cornwall was thought to have 68 rough sleepers last year, the 10th highest figure in England, but the council says this was a fall of 31% compared with 2016.
The government plans to publish a "rough sleeping strategy" in July.
- Published25 January 2018
