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10:33 AM, 14th December 2020, About 3 years ago 2
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Rough sleepers across England will receive extra support to help them recover from drug and alcohol misuse, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, Kelly Tolhurst MP announced.
Forty-three areas across England will receive support from a £23 million government fund designed for those with drug and alcohol support needs to get the help they need to rebuild their lives. The programme will be boosted by a further £52 million in 2021 to 2022.
Rough sleepers who are being provided with emergency accommodation during the pandemic as part of the government’s ‘Everyone In’ programme, and people who are currently rough sleeping, will be eligible for support.
In partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, and managed by Public Health England, the funding will enable them to access drug and alcohol treatment, including detox and rehabilitation services.
This will be alongside wraparound support, such as access to mental health and substance dependence workers and peer mentors, who are key to working with vulnerable people in treatment services.
The minister has also confirmed an initial £10 million funding for 19 areas, plus the Greater London Authority, under the government’s £15 million ‘Protect Programme’. This is to provide accommodation for rough sleepers during the pandemic in areas that required extra support during the restrictions and throughout winter.
Taken together, government spending on rough sleeping and homelessness this year is over £700 million, with the ‘Everyone In’ campaign helping to protect thousands of lives during the pandemic by housing rough sleepers in safe accommodation.
Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, Kelly Tolhurst said: “We know that one of the main issues facing those sleeping rough, or at risk of homelessness, is misuse of drugs or alcohol and what a crippling effect these substances have on people’s lives.
“While our ‘Everyone In’ campaign has helped to protect thousands of lives, we still need to work hard to break the cycle of rough sleeping for good.
“This funding will provide thousands of vulnerable people with the support they need to get on the road to recovery to rebuild their lives away from the streets for good.”
Health Minister Jo Churchill said: “The need to support the most vulnerable groups in society has never been more important or more apparent than this year.
“We are committed to supporting those who want to break the cycle of addiction.
“This funding will not only help those personally fighting addiction, but also benefit their loved ones and the communities who suffer from the often very difficult consequences of substance misuse.”
Rosanna O’Connor, Director of Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco and Justice at Public Health England said: “Those sleeping rough with substance misuse problems can find it difficult to access services that can help them – their health continues to deteriorate and it becomes harder for them to turn their lives around.
“This grant will help people who sleep rough struggling with addiction to improve their health and break this pattern and we are looking forward to seeing the positive impact this will have now and in the future.”
Steve Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s said: “Our own Knocked Back research published earlier this year shows how it has become increasingly difficult for people sleeping rough to access the substance misuse services they need. We also found that drug overdoses were one of the main causes of death of people who do sleep rough.
“We are pleased that the government is targeting funding to tackle this urgent issue alongside other efforts to reduce the number of people sleeping on the streets.
“This year we have seen what is possible when a coordinated multi-agency approach to providing support is taken. And we at St Mungo’s will continue to work with national and local government, and our local partners, to build on these successes and enable as many people as possible to get the help and support they need to recover from homelessness.”
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Question Everything
10:06 AM, 15th December 2020, About 3 years ago
Oh yes, "We are pleased that the government is targeting funding to tackle this urgent issue".
And what about the depression we are in? Clearly .gov is looking for every charity hole to throw our money into at a time of crisis to deepen the ravine we are in.
Don't believe the altruistic hype about "caring for the unfortunate". .gov doesn't give a flying .... about the unfortunate, what they want is to look good while at the same time create more economic mayhem.
Shelter is not an independent altruistic charity, they are an arm of the .gov machine that is destroying the middle class.
Beware the wolf in sheep's clothing.
Jonathan Clarke
11:34 AM, 20th December 2020, About 3 years ago
The services offered to private LL`s by those that represent the homeless is woefully inadequate . Having myself housed maybe 250 homeless people over the last 20 years the main problem is inefficiency , poor communication and a lack of understanding of what I need . If it was a one off mistake I could understand and forgive but the same brick walls are thrown up time and time again . Individuals who work within governmental or charitable agencies are sometimes great but some also have a default anti LL attitude . The organisational structures though are invariably antiquated ,sluggish and not user friendly
I have come across startling ineptitude in many brand name charities as well as at local and national government level .
I made my possibly last throw of the dice in July this year in the middle of the pandemic when I felt sorry for a homeless guy referred to me by a charity . I housed him in a 1 bed flat and took a below market rent for him . The charity offered support for him and to set him up and help with the paperwork etc etc . They always do offer but often never deliver . But 5 months later I have received not a penny in rent from UC and all I have received is empty promises from the charity responsible .
And after 5 months without a penny in rent received they had the nerve to e mail me again and ask me if i had any more vacant 1 beds as they are desperate to house a lovely homeless guy .
I was livid and had to edit my e mail response to them several times to make the contents palatable .
I now have 3 empty properties over Christmas but all 3 could house the homeless if only someone just someone in these organisations could get a grip .
It really isn`t hard to solve the problem
1) Pay me 6 mths up front so I dont go short and take the payback from the UC entitlement whenever you get around to sorting the paperwork and your systems out
2) Pay me direct every time going forward . If you want to teach the vulnerable often dysfunctional tenants how to manage their money then its a good idea I agree and please feel free to do. But do so in your own time and then show me their certificate of money management when they have passed a GCSE exam . Then and only then may i agree that the UC should go to them first before they pay me . HMRC took my tax direct from me when I worked as they didn't trust me to pass it on to them . And I am a responsible well adjusted citizen
3) Don't use me as a social experiment while you teach them these financial skills . I'm not your guinea pig
If you agree to abide by these 3 conditions please call me as i have 3 vacant houses and they could be used to house 3 vulnerable homeless families by Christmas.
Its a disgrace that in 20 years you collectively haven't yet sorted these issues out.