Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what long-term funding is available for tackling homelessness in Liverpool City Region.

This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. Already, this has provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff– this means there are more people in warm beds tonight as direct result of government funding.

In all, the Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. As part of the 1.2 billion, Liverpool City Region has received £3 million, including Housing First Pilot funding to help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Future years funding (from 2020-21 onward) for homelessness and rough sleeping are dependent on Spending Review negotiations, therefore we are not able to clarify at this stage how much funding Liverpool City Region will receive in future to support work to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, however there will be funding opportunities open to all local authorities to bid for in the near future including the Rapid Rehousing Pathway, an initiative to support rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.