Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of homeless night shelter beds that will be available in winter 2021-22.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government has committed over £750 million this year to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
This includes over £202 million across England for the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), which is more than an 80% increase from the £112 million provided last year. The funding will provide up to 14,500 bed spaces and 2,700 support staff. Within this year's RSI, local authorities were asked to plan for winter and any other surge capacity throughout the year.
We recognise that winter brings with it extra pressures especially with the on-going risk of COVID-19. For this reason, we are we are supporting the voluntary and community sector with the £3.8 million Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund. This funding will help provide safe accommodation that creates a sustained route of the streets by supporting investment in improved accommodation and of self-contained bed spaces over winter 21/22.
Night Shelters that are considering opening this winter should consult their local authorities and consider the COVID-19: provision of night shelters guidance on gov.uk, which was drafted with advice from the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England).
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to allocate funding for covid-19 secure accommodation for street homeless people in winter 2021-22; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government has committed over £750 million this year to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
This includes over £202 million across England for the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), which is more than an 80% increase from the £112 million provided last year. The funding will provide up to 14,500 bed spaces and 2,700 support staff. Within this year's RSI, local authorities were asked to plan for winter and any other surge capacity throughout the year.
We recognise that winter brings with it extra pressures especially with the on-going risk of COVID-19. For this reason, we are we are supporting the voluntary and community sector with the £3.8 million Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund. This funding will help provide safe accommodation that creates a sustained route of the streets by supporting investment in improved accommodation and of self-contained bed spaces over winter 21/22.
Night Shelters that are considering opening this winter should consult their local authorities and consider the COVID-19: provision of night shelters guidance on gov.uk, which was drafted with advice from the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England).
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the Government's target is for the number of housing units to be built in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc; and whether Housing England operates from the same target.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The National Planning Policy Framework expects local planning authorities in England to follow the standard method set out in published guidance for assessing local housing need. The standard method is only the starting point in the process of planning for new homes - it is not a target. Local councils will still need to consider local circumstances to assess how many homes should be delivered in their area
For the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, we are developing a long-term Spatial Framework that will support better spatial planning and investment decisions, support more sustainable development and positive environmental outcomes, and allow communities to shape the long-term future of their areas. The development of the Spatial Framework is at a very early stage. Therefore, it does not currently include any policies or targets. In preparing the Spatial Framework, the Government has committed to a robust evidence-based process to understand the most sustainable approach to supporting future growth options in the Arc.
On 20 July, we launched a 12-week public consultation, seeking views to help us create a vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc Spatial Framework. Using the vision as a foundation, we will develop options for delivering its objectives. It is likely that these options will consider strategic growth locations and distribution of growth. We hope to publish this, including a Sustainable Appraisal 'Issues and Options' Report, for public consultation in spring 2022 to give everyone a chance to have their say.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department instructed local authorities as part of funding agreements for the Rough Sleeping Initiative to end the use of hotels and other emergency accommodation for rough sleepers by the end of March 2021.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Department did not instruct local authorities to end the use of hotels and emergency accommodation by 31 March 2021. We have been working closely with local authorities throughout this pandemic to ensure that all those accommodated have access to the support that they need, including move-on into longer-term, sustainable accommodation. As part of this we are working with local authorities to gradually reduce dependence on the use of hotels, intended as an interim measure, to save life and before people were supported into longer-term, more sustainable options. By the end of January, we had supported over 37,000 people with over 11,000 in emergency accommodation and over 26,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation. To support this, we have provided:
We've been clear with councils and partners that everyone helped into accommodation should be offered the tailored support they need to move forwards.
This Government remains committed to ending rough sleeping this parliament, recent data shows that rough sleeping has fallen 43% under this administration, with a 37% fall in the last year alone.