Thank you for contacting me about the Homelessness Reduction Act.
As you may be aware, the legislation will place a new duty on councils to support those who are homeless. Councils will be required to help those threatened with homelessness, and those who are already homeless, to find a home. The Government recently announced it is providing an additional £11.7 million for local authorities, taking the total amount to £72.7 million, to fund the administrative costs of the new duties. Additionally, the Government is also spending £3 million to support local authorities in upgrading their data systems to monitor the impact of the Act.
Every homeless case is a tragedy, and I am glad that the Government is showing a commitment to tackling it. In December 2016, the Government provided a £50 million funding boost for trailblazing new homelessness prevention schemes across the country, including targeted support for those at risk of rough sleeping.
The Government is spending over £550 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in England by 2020, following the 2015 Spending Review. This includes increasing central funding to tackle homelessness to £149 million, protecting homelessness prevention funding for local authorities at £315 million, and providing £100 million for at least 2,000 low-cost accommodation places, designed for rough sleepers leaving hostel accommodation and domestic abuse victims and their families moving on from refuges.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.