Conservative M.P. for Romford Andrew Rosindell has welcomed the news that the Government is providing funding for Havering for new, long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people.
In total, projects across England will receive more than £150 million to deliver more than 3,300 such secure homes by the end of March 2021, providing long term accommodation to vulnerable people to keep them safe from coronavirus and rebuild their lives.
Havering will receive £2,219,190 for local schemes that provide secure ‘move on’ style accommodation for people at risk of sleeping on the streets and is an important step towards achieving the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping by 2024, alongside investment in new homes for social rent.
This is part of the Government’s investment of £433 million to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers by the end of this Parliament and builds on the widely praised ‘Everyone In’ campaign launched at the start of the pandemic which has helped support over 29,000 vulnerable people – enabling councils to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.
Following the announcement, Andrew Rosindell M.P. said:
“Homelessness has been a problem for far too many years in Romford and across Havering. The presence of homelessness is not just bad for those directly affected, but also bad for society. The decisive action the government took to get rough sleepers off the streets during the pandemic was hugely welcome and I am pleased that the government is following this up with new funding to provide Havering Council with the resources to get people off the streets to help those in genuine need.
I would also urge the government to look at proposals I have made to end blanket ‘no pets’ clauses in rented accommodation, including in social housing. So many homeless people rely on the companionship of a dog, but because of ‘no pets’ rules in social housing, they have to choose between their pet and accommodation. My current Bill before Parliament, ‘Jasmine’s Law’ would make a significant difference in this regard.”
The Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities, The Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick M.P. said:
“Our Everyone In plan is widely considered the most effective action taken by any country in the world to protect those sleeping rough from the pandemic. And that work hasn’t stopped - 29,000 rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been supported into safe accommodation since the start of COVID-19. The next step in our mission is to ensure they have a more settled home. Which is why we are providing over £150 million, as part of the biggest ever investment in homes for the homeless, to deliver over 3,000 new long-term homes across England, giving them the stability and security they need to start to rebuild their lives.”
