Blackburn with Darwen Council is set to spend £270,000 a year on supported housing for people sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness.
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A report going to the Council’s Executive Board this week recommends continuing funding for the Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme (RSAP), which offers safe accommodation and specialist, wraparound support.
The proposed funding would keep 30 units of supported accommodation across the borough in place, with the aim of helping some of the most vulnerable residents stabilise their lives and move towards independent living.
The council says its Housing Needs team supported 178 people and 82 families at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping into accommodation in the past year.
RSAP supports people moving directly from rough sleeping into housing, alongside help with health needs, substance misuse, life skills and routes into independent living.
The council says the programme has reduced rough sleeping, helped people maintain tenancies, improved health and wellbeing outcomes, and reduced demand on emergency and temporary accommodation.
It says continuing the investment would prevent a setback, with a risk that up to 30 people could return to rough sleeping if the funding was not kept in place.
The report comes as the council welcomed national changes to repeal the Vagrancy Act.
Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Housing and Public Health, said: “Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home, and our focus has always been on supporting people to move away from rough sleeping and rebuild their lives.
“These national changes reflect what we are already doing here in Blackburn with Darwen -taking a compassionate, practical approach that tackles the root causes of homelessness, not just the symptoms.
“Our Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme is making a real difference, helping people off the streets and into safe accommodation, with the support they need to move forward.
“Continuing this investment is essential to protect some of our most vulnerable residents and ensure we don’t see people returning to rough sleeping.”
The council says it will continue working with partners across housing, health and the voluntary sector on a long-term approach to ending rough sleeping in Blackburn with Darwen.
