£490k funding boost for Gedling Borough Council to tackle homelessness

Gedling Borough Council will receive a cash injection of nearly £500k next year to tackle homelessness in the area, Angela Rayner has announced.

Nearly £1 billion in total is being pumped into council budgets across England to help break the cycle of spiralling homelessness – including £13,301,449 for Nottinghamshire. 

Gedling Borough Council will receive £499,286 in total from the funding.

The cash will be used to make more resources available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing as well as seeing more homeless families out of temporary accommodation.  

The Government said councils will also now be better equipped to step in early to stop households becoming homeless in the first place. This includes mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, help find new homes, and deposits to access private renting. 

Local areas can also choose to channel resources into services including Housing First, which prioritises access to permanent social housing for people with histories of repeat homelessness and multiple disadvantage including drug and alcohol abuse.

With the worst housing crisis in living memory, around 40% of homeless families are living in B&Bs or nightly-let accommodation, and the use of this emergency accommodation has doubled in three years. Many of these places lack basic facilities, leaving parents struggling to cook healthy meals for their children while councils bear the mounting financial strain.  

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said: “Too many people have been failed by the system time and again.160,000 children face spending this Christmas without a stable place to call home. I am determined to break the cycle of spiralling homelessness and get back on track to ending it for good.

“This largest-ever investment marks a turning point, giving councils the tools they need to act quickly and put in place support for people to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness. It’s time to turn the tide.

“This historic funding comes alongside our work developing a cross-government strategy back on track to end homelessness, pulling every lever of the state, to ensure that we deliver not just sticking plasters but a long-term plan.

“Through our Plan for Change I am determined to tackle the housing crisis we inherited head on, building the homes we need, delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation and ending no fault evictions.

Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali said: “We have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory that has left far too many families trapped in temporary accommodation with no end in sight and soaring numbers of people sleeping rough on our streets.

“Our funding will not only support councils delivering vital services that meet the needs of their communities but also pave the way for our long-term plan to get us back on track to end homelessness once and for all.”