Money to get rough sleepers off Brighton and Hove streets with secure tenancies

Cash has been handed to the council to help rough sleepers off the streets

The money can be used by local authorities for things such as paying deposits or putting down the first month’s rent.

The Government hopes this will help vulnerable people make a home in properties they may otherwise not have been able to access.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s share of the funding will be more than £700,000 to support both tenants and landlords.

The announcement, made on Friday (March 1), is part of the Government’s rough sleeping strategy.

Last week new data showed Brighton and Hove was among the top ten local authority areas for homeless deaths between 2013 and 2017.

Meanwhile Green amendments to Labour’s budget agreed on Thursday night included extra money for the homeless.

Last year the production of an updated rough sleeping strategy saw Green and Conservative councillors challenge the Labour administration’s record.

Heather Wheeler, minister for housing and homelessness, said: “Everyone deserves to have a home to call their own. Yet often, vulnerable people on the brink of becoming homeless will struggle to find the money to get the safe and secure home they need to get back on their feet.

“This money will make a huge difference in opening up the private rented sector to people who need it in the South East and give them the chance to rebuild their lives.

“This is just one part of the wide-ranging work we are doing to help tackle all forms of homelessness, including our rough sleeping strategy as we ensure more homes are made available for those in need.”

People with previous experience of being homeless and living in temporary accommodation will support vulnerable households accommodated through this scheme.

The scheme will also involve working with the voluntary sector to develop longer term support for individuals to help them sustain their tenancies and plan for their future housing needs.

This funding announcement follows a commitment by the Government cto address the issue of letting adverts which potentially discriminate against would-be tenants.

In the coming weeks, ministers will meet leading industry representatives including mortgage providers, landlord associations, tenant groups, and flatshare and property websites to clamp down on blanket exclusions in adverts – with a view to stopping them altogether.

Landlords can already receive rent from tenants on housing benefit and universal credit – meaning payments can be paid directly into their accounts.

In a third move, local authorities can from today, also bid for a share of up to £26m of Rapid Rehousing Pathway funding for 2019/20. This extra investment can be used to fund innovative local schemes which help those sleeping rough and struggling with mental health problems or substance misuse issues, making wrap-around help they need available.