Council announces more investment to help rough sleepers

The funding, from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, will be complemented by an additional £90,000 investment from Nottinghamshire County Council and £70,000 by the homelessness charity Framework.

This will enable the service providers to continue to work alongside the seven district and borough councils and housing providers to build on the services that ensure that people who are rough sleeping receive a range of support to improve their outcomes.

Coun Tony Harper, chairman of the adult social care and health committee, said: “This funding is great news for Nottinghamshire.

“It will allow us to develop services to tackle the underlying issues around homelessness, such as mental health or substance misuse.

“These services aren’t just about providing the appropriate accommodation for homeless people.

“We are also giving people the support they need to take positive steps away from difficult situations and hopefully end the cycle of rough sleeping.”

Some key aspects of the provision include a rough sleeping co-ordinator and housing navigators who will work with organisations to ensure that people get the support that they need in the right place at the right time e.g. people released from prison will be supported to find suitable accommodation.

A range of interventions will be introduced to prevent homelessness through housing and employment initiatives.

A street outreach team will engage directly with rough sleepers to assess their needs, link them to support and ultimately, to get them off the streets and into accommodation.

And additional specialist posts will be created to support the street outreach team to address the increasingly complex substance misuse, mental and physical health needs of the rough-sleeping community.

For more details about Framework and it’s work in Nottinghamshire, visit www.frameworkha.org or follow the charity on Twitter at @Framework_HA.