Government gives Slough Borough Council £348,000 to help rough sleepers

A £348,000 funding package will be given to Slough Borough Council (SBC) in an attempt to end rough sleeping in the town.

SBC is one of 83 local authorities which has been chosen to share a £34 million fund which aims to provide support for those living on the streets.

The money is part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out a blueprint for eradicating homelessness by 2027.

Communities Secretary James Brokenshire MP said: “The funding through our Rough Sleeping Initiative is already making a real difference in helping support those off the streets into services and accommodation this year.

“But there is still work to do and that’s why we are supporting these areas with further funding to ensure progress continues to be made and vulnerable people are supported into services and accommodation.”

SBC received a further £260,000 in June as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative Fund.

The latest round of funding is for the 2019/20 financial year but the Government has said that any money unspent from the 2018/19 allocation will be deducted from the following year’s budget.

The Royal Borough missed out on a share of the funding pot but could benefit from an £11 million package which has been set aside to pay for additional projects across the country.