As the government marks the one-year anniversary of its groundbreaking Rough Sleeping Strategy, it has unveiled plans to allocate £34.6 million across London and more than 70 other areas to support individuals experiencing homelessness. This significant funding injection aims to provide up to 4,300 additional beds and essential services to help people transition away from the streets.

The Rough Sleeping Strategy, a cross-government initiative supported by £2 billion in funding, was introduced in September 2022 to combat the homelessness crisis in the United Kingdom. On this auspicious milestone, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced new allocations under the Rough Sleeping Initiative.

This fresh funding is dedicated to regions facing the greatest need, with the objectives of expediting the process of getting people off the streets, offering more move-on accommodation, assisting individuals in maintaining their tenancies, and providing tailored support services.

The £34.6 million allocation complements the government's earlier commitment of up to £500 million over three years, which has already led to the establishment of 14,000 beds for rough sleepers and the hiring of 3,000 support staff nationwide. This comprehensive approach includes helping individuals secure employment, manage their finances, and access mental and physical health services.

Minister for Rough Sleeping, Felicity Buchan, emphasised the government's unwavering dedication to ending rough sleeping.

She said: "One year on from the launch of our ground-breaking strategy, we remain as committed as ever to ending rough sleeping."

The government's pledge is reinforced by the latest funding boost, which will introduce thousands of additional beds and hundreds of support staff to communities where they are most needed.

The Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 funding is just one component of the broader support package designed to combat homelessness and rough sleeping. Other key elements of this package include:

• Homelessness Prevention Grant: Over £1 billion in flexible funding spread across three years to support councils in offering financial assistance for finding new homes and preventing evictions.
• Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme: A £433 million initiative aimed at delivering 6,000 homes for individuals with histories of rough sleeping or those at risk.
• Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme: A newly announced £200 million program aimed at delivering up to 2,400 homes, along with tailored wrap-around support for three years.
• Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant: A commitment of up to £186.5 million over the spending review period to expand substance misuse treatment services to an additional 20 areas.
• Housing First Pilots: A pilot program in three urban areas, with an initial allocation of £28 million that was further bolstered by £13.9 million to advance its legacy.
• Accommodation for Ex-Offenders: Over £42 million provided to local authorities to support 2,750 ex-offenders in securing rental tenancies.
• The Night Shelter Transformation Fund: A £13 million, three-year commitment to small- to medium-sized faith and community organizations providing accommodation and support to those who are homeless.
• Voluntary & Community Sector Capacity Fund: £7.3 million in funding aimed at increasing the capacity and skills of the sector, supporting workforce development, and enhancing the collaboration between statutory, commissioned, and non-commissioned services.

With these substantial investments and commitment, the government is making strides toward fulfilling its manifesto promise to end rough sleeping and ensure that homelessness is a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience for those affected.