East Yorkshire Council has been given around £40,000 in new emergency cash as the Government has tripled the Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding from £10 million to £30 million.
In November 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, announced a £10m emergency support package for rough sleepers.
At the time, Ms Rayner said: “Anyone forced to sleep rough on our streets represents a complete failure of the broken system we’ve inherited. It’s a national disgrace, and we can’t keep sticking plasters on it.”
The Government has now announced the £10m announced in November has been tripled to £30m. From this newly announced funding, East Riding Council has received £41,337.
A Council spokesperson said: “We welcome the additional, much needed funding to assist some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“The Council, like others up and down the country has activated its Severe Weather protocol several times this winter, proving emergency accommodation to anyone sleeping rough, recognising the serious health risk posed. The additional funding announced this week will not only fund emergency accommodation but also the wrap around support offered to those who come indoors, to assist them in their recovery from street homelessness.
“The Council works closely with both statutory and non statutory partners from across the county to deliver coordinated services to those sleeping rough and those recovering from street homelessness and will continue to do so.
“If a member of the Public believes that someone is street homeless anywhere in the East Riding, we would urge them to can make a referral via Streetlink – StreetLink – Connecting people sleeping rough to local services or alternatively by contacting Emmaus, Hull and East Riding , who provide a commissioned outreach service on behalf of the Council, on 0800 0662169.”
Upon announcing the tripling of the support package, the Government’s Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali said: “Behind every sad rough sleeping statistic, there is a person who has been let down by the system for far too long. This government is more determined than ever to turn the tide on years of failure to properly invest in our frontline services.
“That is why I am tripling the emergency funding from £10 million to £30 million for councils to help the most vulnerable into safe and secure housing with warm beds, hot meals, and specialist care.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
