East Suffolk Council "confident" rough sleepers won't return to streets after pandemic
The leader of the authority says he is committed to providing sustainable accommodation in our exclusive #LeadersinLockdown interview
WATCH: Steve Gallant answers your questions in our exclusive #LeadersInLockdown interview
East Suffolk Council says it remains committed to helping keep rough sleepers off the streets.
Leader of the authority, Steve Gallant, praised the success of the Everyone In initiative to provide accommodation for rough sleepers throughout the pandemic.
Since it was launched it has supported 37,000 individuals, with more than 26,000 moved to longer-term accommodation.
Councillor Gallant says the focus is now on helping those in the district stay off the streets.
Cllr Gallant said: "One of the positive legacies that will come out of it pandemic is the significant reduction in the number of rough sleepers, we got them off the street from day one.
"What we need to do, of course, is keep them off the streets and deliver sustainable move-on accommodation that is both sustainable in the long-term but also provides for the very specific needs of some of that population."
The Government announced yesterday (18 March) £212 million will be invested in homes for rough sleepers.
East Suffolk Council's leader said they've been fortunate in the amount of funding from central Government and are "absolutely confident" that they will keep people off the street providing they want to.
You can hear what else Steve Gallant has to say on topics including Freeport East, Sizewell C, mental health and support for young carers in the full interview above.