Leeds to get £1.6m grant to help get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas
The target is to offer accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas
A £1.6m government grant is set to help the council offer safe accommodation to Leeds’ rough sleepers by Christmas.
Funding will be allocated to Leeds City Council as part of the Government’s national Rough Sleeping Programme.
Charities and voluntary sector organisations will be involved with delivering more help for people sleeping on the streets or at risk of homelessness.
A council report said: “This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer term sustainment of accommodation.”
A three-year programme of rough sleeping support for councils was announced in August this year.
Funding for Leeds would be provided via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), the report said.
It said: “The programme combines immediate accommodation and support with longer-term investment in settled housing and wrap-around services for those with the most complex and entrenched histories of rough sleeping.”
Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the rough sleeping programme on his first day in office.
The government announcement said charities, businesses and volunteers should be involved in helping rough sleepers.
It said: “The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.
“People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds.”
Leeds City Council agreed to receive and allocate £1.64m in funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MCHLG) this month.
The council report said: “The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.
“Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness.”