Government plans to end rough sleeping could unravel within months warns new Salvation Army report

A new Salvation Army report suggests homelessness and rough sleeping will soar - if the government fails to properly fund homelessness support services.
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The church and charity is warning that the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic will increase rough sleeping and force families into expensive and unsuitable temporary accommodation, like bed and breakfasts, as local authorities struggle to manage rising homelessness levels with urban areas, including Sheffield, likely to be worst affected.

In May 2020, government figures showed 14,610 people were housed in emergency accommodation in England who were either at risk of rough sleeping, or were already doing so.

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The Salvation Army report, Future-Proof the Roof. offers solutions to help sustain the progress been made in recent months, while helping p revent growing rates of rough sleeping and homelessness in the future.

Not only would this protect thousands of vulnerable people, but investing in homelessness now will avoid spiralling costs in the future.

Typical avoidable costs include expensive temporary accommodation, which just last year cost local authorities close to £1 billion.

In July, the government outlined its approach to this autumn’s comprehensive spending review.

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The Salvation Army is concerned the ‘tough choices’ rhetoric used in the announcement could mean homelessness and rough sleeping services suffer from funding cuts.

A Salvation Army spokesman said: “The only way to prevent a homelessness and rough sleeping crisis is to approach funding for homelessness services in the same way the government funds physical infrastructure.

“If the government was planning a new motorway, it would invest in proper planning and construction materials to ensure it was still safe to drive in the future. It would be the only way to protect drivers and avoid costly emergency repair bills.

“If they took the same approach to investing in homelessness, they would protect lives and avoid potentially large out-of-budget expenses for temporary accommodation and health services.”

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A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government said: “The Government has taken unprecedented action to support renters during the pandemic, including providing financial support to enable tenants to pay their living expenses and their rent, and this has helped ensure no one was forced from their home.

“New court rules will provide appropriate support to those who have been particularly affected by coronavirus when court proceedings start again, with landlords required to set out information about a tenant’s circumstances, including the effect of the pandemic on a tenant’s vulnerability, when bringing a possession claim.

“We’re committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness and to ending rough sleeping for good. That’s why we changed the law so councils now have a duty to try to stop people from becoming homeless and have provided over half a billion pounds to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in 2020 and 2021.”

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