Labour AM criticises plan to scrap ring-fence on housing grant

Dawn Bowden warned the end of the ring-fence would undermine work done to deal with rough sleeping

Scrapping the ring-fence on a grant for councils to help vulnerable people live independent lives will "undermine" all the work done to deal with rough sleeping, a Labour AM has said.

Dawn Bowden has criticised her own Welsh Government's decision to overhaul the Supporting People Programme.

She spoke in a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday.

Housing minister Rebecca Evans said there was cross-government action on homelessness.

The £124m Supporting People programme will no longer be ring-fenced in the Welsh Government's budget in 2019-20.

Under plans the programme will be merged with other pots of money, giving councils more flexibility to decide how it is spent.

The Supporting People programme pays for things such as hostels and support workers for vulnerable people, including victims of domestic abuse and people with chronic illnesses.

'Remain to be convinced'

Ms Bowden, AM for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, said: "I remain to be convinced that providing some local authorities with extra flexibilities would not carry with it significant risks to what we're trying to achieve.

"With ring-fencing we know all money will go to that purpose.

"However, by removing the ring fencing, it is clear to me that some council will respond to their priorities in a different way. And that could undermine all the good work we're doing in this area."

Housing charities have warned against plans to merge grants aimed at tackling homelessness with non-housing funding

Earlier in the week, homelessness charity Crisis published a report proposing measures to end homelessness in Wales within a decade.

And on Wednesday a group of housing charities warned against plans for homelessness grants to be merged with funding for non-housing services.

The Housing and Regeneration Minister Rebecca Evans said there was cross-government action on homelessness.

"We are investing heavily in all forms of homelessness with an additional £10m in each of the next two years, plus an additional £10m for youth homelessness in 2020," she said.

"I'm currently reviewing evidence and progress from the pilots, and will consider this evidence alongside the research reports that are due in the summer."