Worcester City Council has received a funding boost of £375,000 from the Government to support its ongoing work to tackle long‑term homelessness in the city.
The Council will receive £125,000 each year for the next three years through the Government’s Long Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme.
This investment is in addition to the annual grant already provided to support the city’s wide‑ranging homelessness and rough sleeping services.
Councillor Lynn Denham, Leader of Worcester City Council said: “This is excellent news and I welcome the additional funding from the Government.
“Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is an absolute priority for the City Council and the dedicated network of partners who work closely with us.
“This new funding will help us to further transform the support available to people sleeping rough in Worcester and strengthen our Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) approach. This recognises that those experiencing homelessness often face complex challenges, such as substance misuse, involvement with the criminal justice system, or poor mental health.
“It is vital that people do not fall between the gaps in services. The issues of homelessness and rough sleeping are not just about housing, and they are not challenges that the City Council can solve alone. We are committed to working collaboratively with our partners to deliver real and lasting change for Worcester.”
The City Council will work closely with existing homelessness services and with people who experienced the reality of sleeping rough to develop plans for how this funding will be spent.
The Council will also be liaising with voluntary and community sector organisations, supporting them to apply for additional funding from the Government’s new Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.
This will help to strengthen community-based support to prevent and reduce the number of people who are sleeping rough.
