Plymouth has taken one step closer to becoming a city where no one ever has to sleep on the streets.
Thanks to a government grant of over £750,000, services that help rough sleepers off the streets and work with some of the most vulnerable people to support them into homes can continue for another year.
The money has been allocated by the Ministry from Housing, Communities and Local Government after a successful bid from the Council.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet member for Housing and Cooperative Development, said: "These services are doing an absolutely incredible job and so to be able to fund them for another year is wonderful news.
"It's bold statement to make, but we are beginning to win the war against homelessness in Plymouth. Rough sleeping figures are coming down and thanks to our Plan for Homes, we are seeing new houses being built.
"This hasn't happened by accident. This has happened because of the hard work of the teams and charities who dedicate their lives to helping others and so it pleases me immensely that their work will be able to continue.
"This funding is of course welcome, but we are still required to bid for it year on year. We are making long-term plans, not just to tackle rough sleeping, but to end it completely. That's why we're now calling on the government to look at this major issue and help us to fund the big picture.
"Together, we can make our vision a reality."
The money will be allocated to the Plymouth Alliance, a partnership between the Council, Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, Harbour, Shekinah, the Zone, Plymouth Access to Housing (PATH), Livewest, Livewell Southwest and Hamoaze House.
It will be used to continue to provide a variety of services to give a rounded response towards ending rough sleeping, including both support and temporary accommodation offers, as well as these initiatives:
- The multi-agency rough sleeper team work intensively on a one-to-one basis with some of the most entrenched rough sleepers to give individual support to move away from the streets and into a home. The support is all about the person and everybody’s experiences and needs are different.
- A 12 bed house is now available to people who for whatever reason have found themselves at risk of rough sleeping and just need somewhere to stay for a short period while they are supported to get back on their feet. It will be staffed with support workers 24 hours a day.
- Local and supported lettings officers to work with landlords to attract new properties for some of the most vulnerable and support both the landlord and the new tenant to keep their new home.
- Newly funded this year will be a specialist complex needs social worker who will be able to link in across all these services giving another layer of support at a different level to make sure the most vulnerable can access the right support at the right time.
Worried about someone sleeping rough? There are now two really easy ways to Make a Change and help Plymouth's homeless.
Let us know about someone sleeping rough using the StreetLink app, or donate £2 to local homeless charities at one of the brand new contactless donation points