Northumberland council leader Glen Sanderson has welcomed the news that the Government is providing funding for Northumberland County Council for new, long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people.

In total, projects across England will receive more than £150 million to deliver more than 3,300 such secure homes by the end of March 2021, providing long term accommodation to vulnerable people to keep them safe from coronavirus and rebuild their lives.

Northumberland will receive £70,500 for local schemes that provide secure ‘move on’ style accommodation for people at risk of sleeping on the streets and is an important step towards achieving the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping by 2024, alongside investment in new homes for social rent.

This is part of the Government’s investment of £433 million to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers by the end of this Parliament and builds on the widely praised ‘Everyone In’ campaign launched at the start of the pandemic which has helped support over 29,000 vulnerable people – enabling councils to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.

In total, 276 schemes have been approved across England, which will deliver 904 new homes for rough sleepers in London and 2,430 elsewhere across the country. This sits alongside the £91.5 million in grant funding given to councils to support vulnerable people and provide short term accommodation over the coming months, and a £10 million Cold Weather Fund to support winter shelters and ensure they are Covid-secure.

Commenting, Councillor Glen Sanderson said:

“We’re fortunate in Northumberland to have relatively low numbers of homelessness and rough sleeping. However, our government made a clear commitment at the last election to completely end rough sleeping by the end of this parliament and if we are to succeed in this aim it is vital for the government and local authorities to work together.

“The ‘Everyone In’ campaign has protected thousands of lives. Providing people with somewhere they can call home is the first, vital step towards allowing them to make positive changes to all other aspects of their lives.”

Commenting, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said:

“Our Everyone In plan is widely considered the most effective action taken by any country in the world to protect those sleeping rough from the pandemic. And that work hasn’t stopped - 29,000 rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been supported into safe accommodation since the start of COVID-19.

“The next step in our mission is to ensure they have a more settled home. Which is why we are providing over £150 million, as part of the biggest ever investment in homes for the homeless, to deliver over 3,000 new long-term homes across England, giving them the stability and security they need to start to rebuild their lives.”