The Mayor of the East Midlands has welcomed the Government’s newly launched homelessness strategy.
The National Plan to End Homelessness has three key pledges: to halve the number of long-term rough sleepers; end the unlawful use of B&Bs for families; and prevent more households from becoming homeless in the first place. And the Government has pledged to invest £3.5 billion over the next three years to ensure action is taken towards ending homelessness and rough sleeping.
The plan, announced today, also urges Mayors to “lead with ambition”, backed by new, simplified funding to “drive collaboration between councils, services, and partners” and ensure “they can focus on spending money on meeting local needs”.
Welcoming the plan, Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “Homelessness is a challenge that every community faces, and this strategy sets out our mission to prevent homelessness and eradicate rough sleeping. Homelessness is not inevitable, and we will address it together.”
“As such, I welcome the Government’s recognition of the vital role Mayors play in this work. While the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) does not deliver frontline services as our local authorities do, it is my role to provide strong leadership so that we can collaborate across local boundaries, with decisions made by people who understand our region, its challenges, but also our strengths.”
“Here in the East Midlands, we are already seeing the benefits of Government investment into tackling rough sleeping in particular, and we are working closely with partners across the region through the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant initiative to support people at risk and tackle rough sleeping head-on.”
Backed by £100,000 of government funding, the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant initiative aims to create a clearer pathway to transform services for people in need.
It builds on progress already happening in Nottinghamshire and aims to bring a consistent and effective strategy across the East Midlands — from busy cities to smaller towns and rural communities. By strengthening services and improving coordination, EMCCA wants to ensure people experiencing or at risk of homelessness receive better, faster, and more consistent support.
Announcing the initiative in October, Mayor Claire said: “This investment will help us to bring services together, share data and best practice, and design a more inclusive and effective system across the East Midlands.”
