We’ve led a successful partnership bid for a total of £210,000 to tackle rough sleeping. This will be used over the next 18 months.
The funding from Government will help the following authorities to keep homeless people off the streets:
- Braintree District Council
- Chelmsford City Council
- Epping Forest District Council
- Maldon District Council
- Rochford District Council
The funds will provide longer-term support, funding 44 accommodation units until March 2025.
This forms part of the Government's Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which initially helped those in emergency housing during COVID-19. The scheme also supports efforts to avoid individuals returning to sleeping rough.
The partnership between the five councils wants to ensure that no one in Essex needs to sleep rough.
Councillor John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and ICS Integration, said:
This is a modest further sum, but must be taken in context of considerably larger grants won by the partnership. Homelessness is a major issue and we know that rough sleeping is not just a sadness for those involved, but is a problem that impacts the wider community. We appreciate all funding contributions.
Read about the Essex Prison Release Housing Protocol to prevent ex-offenders from facing homelessness, also announced today
