Work to help rough sleepers get off the streets has been given a £300,500 boost following a successful bid by the Bath and North East Somerset Homelessness Partnership.
The extra funding aims to reduce rough sleeping and help vulnerable people with often very complex needs.
The money will help fund:
- Regular extended provision of emergency accommodation in severe weather;
- Cross-border working with people in or from Wiltshire to ensure valuable connections and accommodation can be kept up;
- Helping people avoid rough sleeping when they are discharged from the RUH;
- Mental health support workers placed with the outreach team and working with people already sleeping rough;
- A tailored response to particularly vulnerable rough sleepers;
- Access to rents in advance when accommodation is found.
The fund was announced on 30th March and proposals for money from it were submitted to the MHCLG in May, by the B&NES Homelessness Partnership.
Working on what is known to be effective and led by the council’s Housing Services team, partners drew up a plan for improving and extending existing services, re-establishing others and working across the Wiltshire border to reduce the numbers of people resorting to rough sleeping.
John Wilkinson, Director of Economy & Growth at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “This is a great outcome, achieved through working in partnership with MHCLG and local providers.
“Rough sleeping has increased nationally and Bath & North East Somerset has seen numbers grow, despite excellent services and good partnership working.
“This boost to local provision will give us an opportunity to make a positive difference for greater numbers of vulnerable people often with very complex needs.”
David Walton, Housing Director of Developing Health & Independence, said: “We know that rough sleeping has a huge impact on people’s health, with the average life expectancy for a homeless man being just 48 and for a homeless woman an even more shocking 43.
“This extra funding will allow DHI to work intensively with rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping, to help prevent and end street homelessness in our area and improve their health.”
Roanne Wootten, Operations Director at Julian House, added: “This is fantastic news. The extra services and support which were carefully mapped out ahead of the bid to central government will have a significant impact – facilitating positive changes for some of the most marginalised and vulnerable members of society.
“We look forward to working with the council and other agencies to make this happen.”
Access Services Manager for the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) NHS Trust, Jason Everett, added: “We know that mental health issues are one of the biggest factors affecting rough sleepers.
“The announcement of this funding is fantastic news as it will pay for two mental health nurses to join the area’s outreach team, providing specialist support and working in partnership to end homelessness.”
