£728K secured to help support rough sleepers across Wakefield

The successful bid will extend and enhance existing services in the district that were funded by previous Rough Sleeper Initiative funds.

The council’s long-term focus is on preventing rough sleeping and providing specialist support to enable people to come off the streets and live in safe and stable long-term accommodation.

Coun Maureen Cummings, Cabinet Member for Communities, Poverty and Health said: “We welcome this funding which will enable us to work with our partners to provide the support that individuals, who often have very complex needs, require.”

The funding will enable the council and its partners to provide specialist services to meet the needs of individual rough sleepers, including intensive support for mental health issues and substance misuse, and opportunities to work with the voluntary and faith sectors.

Outreach work will be extended, and services will also be developed to identify those at risk of homelessness and to work with them to prevent this from happening.

The initiative aims to help more people to come off the streets and the opportunity to escape a damaging lifestyle.

Research show that homeless people are far more likely than other residents to be victims of crime, including assault and criminal exploitation. Abuse of drugs and alcohol is also likely to be more common for street homeless people.

Coun Cummings said: “With this funding we can tackle street homelessness over the longer term; it is positive for individuals and communities, as by addressing these underlying issues we can create a safer district for all residents.”