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"Ending Rough Sleeping for Good"- What does the updated Rough Sleeper Strategy tell us?

On Saturday 5th September the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities published an update to the Rough Sleeping Strategy, titled ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’. this was driven by the Minister for Rough Sleeping, Eddie Hughes MP. You can read the full strategy here

Greater Manchester Combined Authority have been part of the Minister’s Advisory Panel working on this for the last 18 months, and have put together this briefing to help us understand the changes and opportunities it presents.

Briefing on ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’ – National Rough Sleeper Strategy

Strategy update driven by the growing lobbying following Covid-19 Response, in particular the Kerslake Commission, and the opportunity from 3 year Spending Review settlement

Ministerial Advisory Panel formed to provide sounding board and gather recommendations 

Nearly all policies and related funding are already known and most already allocated (with some under embargo up until this point – RSI, Housing First, RSAP)

Announcement of co-developed national rough sleeper data framework with Centre for Homelessness Impact

New funded policy announced within the strategy:

  • Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme 
  • Test and Learn Programme

Positive cross-departmental ownership of the strategy

Outcome / Commitment Summary

Prevention

  1. We will increase affordability and security of housing; Affordable Housing Programme (£1.5bn) and Private Rented Sector reform
  2. We will empower local authorities to better prevent rough sleeping – including fully embedding the landmark Homelessness Reduction Act 2017; Homelessness Prevention Grant (£316m 2022-23)
  3. We will commit to working with stakeholders from local authorities and the service delivery sector to establish an operational risk assessment tool to assist with prevention of rough sleeping
  4. We will support our ambition that no-one is released from a public institution to the streets through the following commitments:

4.1 No-one should leave prison homeless or to sleep rough; Accommodation for Ex-Offenders, Approved Premises expansion, Housing Specialists, Resettlement Passports

4.2 Young people leaving care will receive the support they need to secure and maintain suitable accommodation; targeted care leaver funding (£3.2m 2022-23)

4.3 No-one should be discharged from hospital to the streets; Out of Hospital Care Programme

4.4 No-one who has served in the UK Armed Forces should face the need to sleep rough

4.5 We will review the impact of the new asylum dispersal system on homelessness and rough sleeping

Intervention

  1. We will extend investment into co-ordinated local rough sleeping services and ensure tailored support to meet individual needs, including through the £500m Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 and the £10m Night Shelter Transformation Fund to increase provision of quality single-room provision within the night shelter sector
  2. We will build on our ‘exhaust all options’ approach with non-UK nationals sleeping rough to make sure those who have restricted eligibility for public funds have a clear pathway off the streets; reform Rough Sleeping Support Service out of HO Immigration Enforcement
  3. We will provide local authorities, police and other agencies with the tools they need to work effectively together to address rough sleeping, protect the public and make communities feel safe for all; Vagrancy Act reform
  4. We will make it easier for the public to play their part in supporting people sleeping rough; Street Link service

Recovery

  1. We will support both housing-led approaches and Housing First, and make sure specialist homes are in place for those experiencing rough sleeping; Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme (£433m), Big Society Capital social investment pilots (£15m), Homeless Link Fidelity Framework
  2. We will address unacceptable poor quality supported housing and increase supply, including through a new £200m Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme and £20m Supported Housing Improvement Programme
  3. We will improve the support available to help people with experience of rough sleeping into employment, refreshing the jobcentre offer through best practice and networks of homelessness leads and setting up a covenant with employers to support job opportunities
  4. We will provide significant investment into drug and alcohol treatment to support people experiencing rough sleeping and improve mental health provision; £186.5m to expand Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant, £53m in Drug Strategy to access accommodation to improvement treatment and recovery outcomes

Transparent and Joined-Up System

  1. We will introduce a new national data-led framework to measure progress towards ending rough sleeping
  2. We will ensure robust but flexible accountability structures are in place
  3. We will improve our evidence-base and understanding of what works to end rough sleeping; £2.2m systems wide research programme, £12m Test and Learn Programme
  4. We will support the voluntary, community and faith sector workforce to play their part alongside other delivery partners; £7.3m VCFSE Grant Programme
  5. We will improve how different services work together for people sleeping rough, particularly people facing multiple disadvantage, including supporting partners within the new Integrated Care Systems to develop joined-up local strategies that bring together housing, homelessness and healthcare; £64m Changing Futures pilots, NHS Duty to Cooperate