Local MP Leo Docherty has welcomed news that Rushmoor and Hart councils will receive £92,000 to tackle rough sleeping this year to support some of the most vulnerable people in our community. The Government have announced that councils will receive a share of an additional £112 million through the Rough Sleeping Initiative to help get people off the streets and in to safe and secure accommodation.
It builds on the Prime Minister’s drive to end homelessness and the announcement before Christmas of £260 million for local authorities to help people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes get back on their feet.
The Rough Sleeping Initiative has reduced the number of vulnerable people sleeping rough in the areas it has been operating by 32 per cent since its introduction in 2018, and is a central pillar of the government’s strategy to end rough sleeping completely by 2024.
Commenting, Leo Docherty said: “I am delighted that funding to tackle rough sleeping across Rushmoor and Hart will increase to £92,000 this year.
“This Government has shown it is absolutely determined to end rough sleeping, and I was especially pleased to see it bring forward its target of achieving this from 2027 to 2024 at the last election.
“There is still a lot more we can do, and I’ll be working with the councils and local organisations to ensure the additional funds are spent locally in the most effective way, so that no one in our area has to sleep out in the cold this winter.”