Fenland secures additional funding for rough sleeping support

An extra £23,940 of government funding has been secured by Fenland District Council to help support homeless people through the winter.

The award from the Cold Weather Fund will enable winter shelter provisions to be extended at Wisbech's Emergency Night Shelter, run by homeless charity The Ferry Project, until March 31.

The grant is in addition to £50,000 previously secured from the fund, which provided additional accommodation for rough sleepers through the months of November to February.

The funding will allow continued emergency shelter for up to 20 people and support ongoing work to provide intensive engagement with individuals accommodated by the provision. This includes specialist support and finding alternative accommodation for individuals that will meet their needs wherever possible.

The government launched the £10million Cold Weather Fund in September 2019 to provide financial backing to local authorities through the winter, enabling them to keep people who are sleeping rough off the streets and work with them to ensure they don't return to the streets once the cold weather has passed.

Councillor Samantha Hoy, Fenland's portfolio holder for housing, said: "Winter is a particularly dangerous time for rough sleepers but this funding will help the council and its partners to provide them with the help they need when they need it most."

"We are immensely proud of what has already been achieved in Fenland to help reduce and prevent homelessness but it is important that we continue to help rebuild lives and end rough sleeping once and for all."

The additional funding follows on from the £340,000 that was secured in January from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Rough Sleeping Initiative grant.

Funding from the initiative has already led to positive signs in the local community, with the amount of November rough sleepers having dropped by more than 50% in 2019 compared to 2018.

If you or someone you know is at risk of homelessness, please contact Fenland District Council as soon as possible on 01354 654321. More information is available on our website at: https://www.fenland.gov.uk/homelessness