£1.3 million from Government to tackle Dorset homelessness
The Council's putting it towards buying or renovating accommodation
£1.3 million of Government money's coming to Dorset, to help tackle homelessness in the county.
The Council say around £625,000 of that will be used to buy or renovate accommodation for ten rough sleepers, who are aged between 18 and 25 and have high levels of support needs.
The remaining £725,000 will go towards support services over the next three years, for those ten tenants.
It's hoped they'll eventually be able to move into their own independent accommodation.
As well as the Government cash, Dorset Council is also adding a further 50% towards the new units, taking the total investment to £1.6 million.
Cllr Jane Somper, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing, said:
“We’re delighted we’ve been successful in being awarded funding to help build much-needed accommodation for our young people who live in difficult circumstances.
“This new scheme will provide an excellent opportunity for young adults to experience independent living in a calm, safe, space. We want to be able to give our residents the best possible chance in life and help them thrive in their local community.”
The SHAP (Single Homelessness Accommodation Project) run by Dorset Council has previously been given £1.2 million of Government funding to help expand the Bus Shelter Project in Weymouth and a new unit to support homeless women.
The number of people in the Dorset Council area that are rough sleeping has risen from 12 in 2022 to 15 in 2023.
The figure had been reducing year-on-year since 2019, when 18 people were recorded as sleeping rough.
Nationally, there has been a 28% increase in the number of people recorded as homeless.