Council given £220k to support rough sleepers

A Lancashire council has been given more than £220,000 by the government to help tackle rough sleeping.

Hyndburn Council said it planned to support local charities Maundy Relief and Stepping Stone Projects.

The money will enable an emergency night shelter and the borough's "A Bed Every Night" scheme to continue providing short-term secure accommodation.

The local authority's housing boss and deputy leader Melissa Fisher said: "There continues to be a need in the borough for accommodation for rough sleepers as a route off the street and to prevent people from sleeping rough."

Maundy Relief's street navigator service proactively seeks rough sleepers wherever they are and then offers them immediate emergency support and accommodation.

Recent government data suggested about 4,700 people slept rough in England on a selected night in autumn 2024.

There is some doubt about whether these statistics fully reflect the true numbers, however, since not all forms of homelessness were included.

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