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Winchester City Council welcomes government’s £100m rough sleeping strategy

Winchester City Council has welcomed the government’s announcement that it will aim to end rough sleeping by 2027.

The government’s £100m strategy to end sleeping on the streets will focus on preventing homelessness in the first place by offering a range of support, including £30m for mental health support for rough sleepers.

Winchester City Council is part of a regional, multi-agency social inclusion group that addresses homelessness by providing support to vulnerable people at risk of becoming homeless.  Its partners include Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Constabulary, Winchester Churches Night Shelter and Trinity Winchester, housing associations and public health bodies.

Winchester City Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing, Cllr Caroline Horrill said:

“It is pleasing to see that the government has placed homelessness firmly on the national agenda and that a level of funding will be made available to address this very real issue.

“In Winchester, we recognise that we cannot tackle this problem alone, and are therefore  working closely with housing associations, charities, health providers and many other groups to ensure that there is a joined-up approach to this issue.

“I hope this money reaches authorities such as ours, so we can continue the work we are doing to drive down homelessness across the district and to help support partner agencies improve the lives of  those in need.”

The council is stepping up its work to ensure that homelessness is eradicated in the district, with plans to join the Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) scheme, a coalition of Clinks, Homeless Link and Mind, which was established to improve policy and services for people facing multiple needs.

The vision of MEAM is to ensure people experiencing multiple needs are supported by co-ordinated services and empowered to tackle their problems to help them reach their full potential.

The work that council teams have put into preventing and tackling all forms of homelessness have been recognised;  in 2017 the authority became the first in Hampshire and the fifth in England to receive the government’s prestigious ‘Gold standard’ award.

The council also works closely with Winchester Business Improvement District, Trinity Winchester and Winchester Churches Night Shelter to promote the diverted giving scheme, Spare Change for Real Change.

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