Over £7.7m granted to Essex local councils to tackle homelessness
The funding comes from the Government's Homelessness Prevention Grant
Local councils in Essex have been awarded £7.7m in funding to tackle homelessness in the county.
As we reported last month, almost fifteen thousand people were living on the streets or in temporary accommodation as of June this year in the East of England. That figure equates to 1 in every 422 people who find themselves in this situation.
The funding comes as part of the the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' Homelessness Prevention Grant allocation for 2022 and will look to help those who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless find a new home, access support for unexpected evictions and secure temporary accommodation if required. The figures also include funding for the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.
There is also a further £154,878 pounds pledged to help people who are forced into homelessness by domestic abuse. This support follows the new Domestic Abuse Act, 2021 which gives local authorities give victims of such abuse 'priority need' for assistance.
Eddie Hughes MP is the Minister for Rough Sleeping. He says: "I have seen first-hand the devastation of those who come face to face with homelessness, and my heart goes out to anyone in this situation.
"The support we are announcing will help thousands of people across England, with councils able to prevent homelessness before it occurs and put a roof over the heads of those who have lost their homes.”
Colchester Borough Council were granted £910,361 from the Homelessness Prevention Grant. A spokesperson from the council tells us, "Grant funding provided by the government has helped us develop a team of staff and partner organisations who can support those with complex issues and provide housing, welfare and advice solutions which help in the longer term.
“The £910,361 of Homelessness Prevention Grant funding for Colchester, for 2022/23, means we can maintain and develop services that prevent people from becoming homeless and reduce our reliance on more temporary solutions such as B&B. The funding will also support the costs associated with implementation of the new landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Affordable housing in Colchester is in high demand, with many single people and families spending a high proportion of their income on rent. With reduction in available benefits and increasing household costs, there is an increasing risk of homelessness and hardship this winter.
“There are currently around 200 households living in temporary accommodation in Colchester. With a limited supply of affordable homes, this means that families may have to wait for more than three years for a permanent housing solution.
“We are addressing this issue through a combination of measures to prevent people from becoming homeless, along with a programme to acquire and build more affordable rented homes in Colchester.
“If anyone is affected by debt or at risk of becoming homelessness, they should contact our Housing Options team for support and assistance 01206 282569."
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said in a statement: “To end homelessness we need to prevent people being forced from their homes in the first place, so this funding for vital local authority services is very welcome.
“With the appalling rise in domestic abuse during lockdowns and the pandemic forcing many more into homelessness, it is especially important that councils in England will have more money to provide accommodation for survivors.”