Rough sleeping pledge: CCN responds
Today the government has announced extra funding for rough sleeping, with the Prime Minister pledging 'to give everyone who needs it a route off the streets' by Christmas.
The numbers of people rough sleeping in county and rural areas has reached a record high, and represents 38% of the total number of rough sleepers in England.
Below, the County Councils Network responds to today's announcement.
Cllr Sean Matthews, Chair-Elect of the County Councils Network, said:
“The numbers of people in county and rural areas who are rough sleeping has increased by a third over the last two years and has reached a record high of 1,821 people. This is 38% of England’s entire total, so this is a major issue for councils in county areas. With rough sleeping harder to assess in rural and remote areas – people may sofa surf, live in vehicles, or sleep in agricultural buildings – councils say the official figures could understate the severity of the problem.
“The County Councils Network welcomes today’s announcement but we must recognise the additional challenges rural unitary and district councils face. With rough sleeping and homelessness arguably trickier and more complex to alleviate in these places, it is vital that these councils receive a proportionate amount of funding from today’s announcement and that rough sleeping is not seen as purely a major city problem. These councils also need dedicated and targeted support to achieve the ambition to end rough sleeping at a time of competing pressures, including local government reorganisation.”
