Council given £1.6m grant to tackle rough sleeping

A £1.6m government grant will help provide safe accommodation for rough sleepers in Leeds by Christmas, the city council has said.

The funding is from the government's national Rough Sleeping Programme announced in summer, a three-year programme of support.

The council said charities and voluntary organisations would be able to give more help to people sleeping on the streets or at risk of homelessness.

Its report added: "This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer-term sustainment of accommodation."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the programme on his first day in office, saying the aim was to "get everyone in for Christmas".

The government announcement said charities, businesses and volunteers should be involved in helping rough sleepers.

It said: "The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.

"People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds."

Leeds City Council has agreed to receive and allocate £1.64m in funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council report said: "The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.

"Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.