Nottingham’s commitment to addressing the issue of rough sleeping has received a significant boost with the City Council successfully securing an additional £800,000 in funding. This funding injection, awarded through the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), will provide crucial support over the next two years.
Building on a substantial allocation of over £6.5 million in 2022 from the same initiative, which was earmarked for efforts until 2025, Nottingham’s latest RSI grant of £811,238 ranks as the tenth largest in the country among 245 awards and the seventh highest outside London.
Notably, the City Council has crafted a pioneering program that ensures more than 80 percent of the funding directly benefits local service providers. This allocation aims to facilitate the delivery of essential accommodation and community-based support services. The remaining 20 percent will be retained within the council to fund specialized roles dedicated to helping rough sleepers find shelter. Additionally, it will foster collaboration with hospitals, prisons, mental health services, and social care organizations to prevent individuals from becoming homeless in the first place.
Under the new funding, councils like Nottingham are expected to develop annual plans with specific targets and report their progress to the government.
Collaborating with specialist officers from the City Council, key partners such as Framework, Nottingham Arimathea Trust, Bloom Social Housing, and P3 are working diligently to:
- Identify and engage with individuals experiencing homelessness, assessing their needs
- Facilitate access to essential services and provide ongoing support
- Offer and manage supported accommodation options
This additional funding will empower the expansion and continued provision of vital services, including:
- Prevention and Resettlement Support: Offering housing advice to individuals rehoused after experiencing rough sleeping or preventing them from losing their tenancies
- Prevention and Assessment Hub: Providing immediate accommodation for newly identified rough sleepers with assistance from multiple partners
- Targeted Outreach: Engaging with individuals who continue to rough sleep despite available housing options
- Out-of-Hospital Accommodation: Providing shelter to rough sleepers discharged from medical facilities with ongoing medical needs
- Community-Based Housing: Offering supported tenancy as an alternative to supported accommodation
The additional funding underscores Nottingham’s dedication to ending rough sleeping and its collaborative approach with partner agencies. As the city continues to address homelessness, it remains steadfast in its mission to tackle the root causes of street homelessness and provide lasting solutions.
FMB Radio Admin
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