The Government has pledged to spend £510,210 this year to tackle rough sleeping in Croydon. This is part of a nationwide scheme that will see the Government spend an extra £30 million for immediate support for people living on the streets.
Croydon council will also have access to the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative Team, which was set up in March this year. The Rough Sleeping Initiative Team consists of experts with a proven track record in reducing homelessness.
The Government has pledged to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and to end it altogether by 2027. Around £1.2 billion has been pledged over this period to reach these goals.
This extra funding brings the council’s core spending power up from £276.3 million in 2015/16 to £283.8 million in 2019/20.
Chris Philp, the Member of Parliament for Croydon South, said “People should never have to sleep rough on the streets. This commitment from the Government will provide Croydon council the means to provide real help to rough sleepers who need it.”
“The extra half a million pounds that has been made available to Croydon council has the potential to provide an immediate improvement to the service the council offers rough sleepers.
“It is my hope that the council uses this extra funding to both help those currently sleeping rough, and also for outreach services to vulnerable people at risk of becoming homeless.”
