More rough sleepers in Sheffield to be helped off the streets thanks to £800k grant

Sheffield has been awarded more than £808,500 from a pot of Government cash. The money will be used by the council and charities to fund new bed spaces and support staff.

Recent figures from homelessness charity Shelter suggested that at least 152 people in Sheffield are homeless.

Vulnerable rough sleepers will get the support they need to rebuild their lives. It could mean a roof over their head, access to specialist mental health or addiction services, or advice on how to secure a home in the long term.

The funding will be used by councils to create street-based services including outreach teams who will find and support rough sleepers directly on the streets and offer them access to services.

Councils can establish accommodation such as hostels, hubs and emergency access beds which provide those in need with warm and dry shelter, rapid assessment, and support to people who are already, or at risk of, sleeping rough

There is money to provide stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wraparound support to help people who are sleeping rough to recover from complex issues and help them to keep tenancies.

And specialist support workers including rough sleeping coordinators, and specialist health and care staff can be funded.

The government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative was launched in 2018 to ensure local areas were given the boost they needed to provide vital services for people living on the streets.