WIREDGOV

An emergency £10 million fund has been launched by the Deputy Prime Minister to protect rough sleepers from cold weather this winter.   

The funding boost will save lives by ensuring rough sleepers have access to a safe and warm bed.   

The money will go direct to councils in the highest need and support thousands of the most vulnerable people in society. Last year, a devastating 155 people died sleeping rough on our streets.  

Last week in the Budget, it was announced an additional £233 million will go to tackling all forms of homelessness, taking total spending on reducing homelessness to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26. This money will directly fund critical services to prevent homelessness and support people into secure, stable housing - helping those at risk of homelessness to pay deposits and negotiate with landlords, reducing the overall need for temporary accommodation.    

Today the Deputy Prime Minister is chairing the first cross-government group on tackling homelessness. During the meeting the Deputy Prime Minister will pledge to end “sticking plaster” measures, and instead tackle the root cause of the problem.    

This action follows a sharp rise in rough sleeping, which is nearing record levels. Unprecedented numbers of children are in temporary accommodation and almost 360,000 households approached their council for help with homelessness in the last year.  

The taskforce is one of the first steps in the government’s plan to develop a long-term strategy to tackle all forms of homelessness, bringing together the healthcare, justice and education systems. 

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, said:  

 “Anyone forced to sleep rough on our streets represents a complete failure of the broken system we’ve inherited. It’s a national disgrace, and we can’t keep sticking plasters on it.  

 “We are approaching the harshest months of the year which is why we are taking immediate action to reach anyone sleeping rough and help them off the streets this winter.  

 “Bringing together Ministers across government is a crucial step to tackle this crisis at its root and ensure everyone has access to the basic right of safe and secure housing.”  

These measures come alongside the government reinvesting in the NHS, increasing wages for the lowest earners and building an economy that will grow to create opportunity for all.  

This funding is just one branch of the government’s wider drive to fix the housing crisis.  Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished through the Renters’ Rights Bill, immediately putting an end to one of the leading causes of homelessness.  

Alongside this, the government will deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation, with £500 million in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme delivering up to 5,000 new social homes. Councils will also be able to keep 100% of receipts from all Right to Buy sales, enabling them to re-invest in more social housing available for families.