Written Answers | Communities and Local Government: Homelessness

Andrew George (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the cross-departmental Homeless Working Group has made of the effects of the implementation of the big society initiative on the provision of local services for homeless people.

Grant Shapps (Minister of State (Housing and Local Government), Communities and Local Government; Welwyn Hatfield, Conservative)

My ministerial colleagues and I are well aware of the significant contribution made by volunteers up and down the country in supporting the voluntary and community sector and other agencies to help vulnerable people. Their contribution is integral in ensuring they receive the appropriate support they need to enhance their well-being.

This Government take homelessness very seriously. We are maintaining investment in homelessness grant at £100 million a year for each of the next four years to support local authorities and the voluntary sector in their work to prevent homelessness. We have also secured £6.5 billion investment for Supporting People over the next four years.

In addition, I established a cross-Government Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness to address the complex causes of homelessness and improve support for homeless people. The first report from the Ministerial Working Group will be published on 6 July and will be available at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/

The report sets out the Government’s intention to roll out ‘No Second Night Out’ nationally, the approach being taken by the Mayor of London to quickly identify new rough sleepers. To deliver the pledge and ensure that the voluntary sector continues to play a central role in tackling rough sleeping, I have also announced a new £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund to be administered by Homeless Link. The report includes commitments from Government Departments, local government and voluntary sector partners to end rough sleeping and help ensure that nobody spends a second night sleeping rough on Britain’s streets.