Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test, and Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, welcome the £660,000 package of new funding from the Labour Government to help support local people facing homelessness in Southampton.
The new funding, unlocked by the Labour government, and awarded to Southampton City Council, has been announced to coincide with World Homeless Day (10 October). It comes on top of the Labour government’s almost £1 billion investment to tackle homelessness this year and includes the largest ever investment in prevention services, helping councils intervene early and stop homelessness before it happens.
Children and families in temporary accommodation will be prioritised – with the funding to go towards helping families to cover the essentials like food, school travel and laundry.
The government has said that it will be up to local authorities to determine how to use the funding to most effectively support vulnerable individuals in their areas. This could include initiatives such as funding specialist physical and mental health support workers, providing greater support to families in Temporary Accommodation with essentials such as food and travel, and boosting drug and alcohol treatment services.
Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test, said:
“It is only right that we are taking action to tackle homelessness, and I am so pleased to see this new funding from government. With record numbers of people living without a secure home, we need to see real change. Our Southampton charities and organisations that support homeless people do incredible work, from Two Saints to the Society of Saint James, but we need to do more to help put an end to homelessness and rough sleeping. Housing is not only a basic human right, but I strongly believe that everyone deserves a safe place to sleep and a roof over their head.”
Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, said:
“I recently spent time with some of the fantastic local organisations supporting homeless people in the city. They do some really fantastic and transformative work – but it’s clear that they can only do so much and that more support and resources are needed to tackle this crisis and help people take their first steps out of homelessness. With winter approaching,
I’m really pleased to see the government taking action and providing the extra cash that’s needed to tackle the moral stain of homelessness and rough sleeping.”