Long term funding plan needed to end rough sleeping

The Salvation Army welcomed the £105m for local authorities in England but warned it might not solve the problem in the long term.

 Malcolm Page, The Salvation Army’s assistant director of Homelessness Services, said: “This £105m is a vital interim step to stop people being forced back onto the streets as hotels reopen and emergency accommodation closes. 

“However, most of the funding that’s been announced since March is for the next 12 months only and so we remain concerned about the future sustainability of the Government’s investment in rough sleeping.

“Moreover, given the wider economic pressures caused by Covid-19, we are worried that many more people will be at risk of rough sleeping, perhaps for the first time. We are especially concerned about the impact of the temporary ban on evictions from the private and social rented sectors coming to an end in August. 

“The Salvation Army is already assisting a number of the local authorities where we have services to find accommodation for people currently living in emergency accommodation, including hotels. This process is well underway, but to find suitable, permanent housing options was always going to take time, so this offers an important stop gap.

“Although we have made exceptional progress in housing and supporting many thousands of people in recent months, efforts to end rough sleeping must continue well beyond this year. 

“There isn’t a quick fix to ending rough sleeping and long-term investment will be essential in ensuring that we can build on the impressive strides that have been made to end rough sleeping during the pandemic so far.”