Decision details

Rough Sleeper Initiative Funding

Decision Maker: Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods Service

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

This report seeks approval for the Council to accept a grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) of £412,926 to reduce rough sleeping in Sheffield and sets out proposals for how the funding will be used. This is a continuation of the funding received in 2018/19.

Decision:

That the Director;

 

  • Approves the acceptance of £412,926funding grant for a period from April 2019 until 31st March 2020

 

  • Approves the implementation of the spending plan as set out in this report.

 

  • Approves the award of a grant of £42,692 to Devonshire Green Medical Centre to fund a Street Outreach Nurse as described in the report.

 

Reasons for the decision:

The grant from the MHCLG will allow the local authority to mitigate against future reductions in budgets and to test approaches to tackling rough sleeping in Sheffield.  It will enable the Council and its partners to target the most vulnerable people sleeping rough or at risk of street homelessness.

Alternative options considered:

Compared to most core cities the number of rough sleepers in Sheffield is relatively low.  However numbers have increased both locally and nationally. The Council and partners is successful in preventing people from becoming homeless and helping the majority of people off the streets quickly. However, the Council decided to bid for the funding to enable a tailored and bespoke approach for those considered ‘vulnerable and entrenched in rough sleeping’.  The current activity focussed on prevention and reducing rough sleeping will continue and develop, while this additional funding enables the Council facilitate a community wide approach to resettle people and prevent further homelessness and rough sleeping.  Without this funding this team could not established and there is a risk of rough sleeper numbers increasing.

Publication date: 15/07/2019

Date of decision: 12/07/2019

Accompanying Documents: