Cornwall is spending millions of pounds on combating homelessness.

Welcoming news that Cornwall is to get a £1.2 million Flexible Homelessness Support Grant (FHSG) from central Government, Cornwall Council cabinet member for housing and environment Joyce Duffin said: ’Although most of this is not new money as such - as this funding replaces the money the Council previously received to support the cost of providing temporary accommodation - it is still very welcome. 

’Because this money can now be used more flexibly, we will be able to invest in preparing for the new legislation in the Homelessness Reduction Bill and we’ll be working to discuss how we can best make that happen.’

A comprehensive action plan is also being drawn up which will see more than £1.1 million invested in tackling rough sleeping in Cornwall.

The latest estimate of the number of rough sleepers in Cornwall on a typical night in November 2016, was 99 individuals – a significant increase on the 65 reported the previous year.

 Joyce Duffin said: ’Factors such as the roll out of Universal Credit, housing benefit changes stopping housing benefit for under 22-year-olds, restrictions on housing benefit for under 35s in social housing and the benefit cap, will put even more people at risk.’

Funded by a successful £292,000 bid to the Government’s Rough Sleeper Programme, ‘No First Night Out’, will be in place from April and will see a new team of experienced outreach, housing options and resettlement officers from Cornwall Housing, Coastline and St Petroc’s Society working together to help those who are facing pressures that could tip them over into rough sleeping. 

This specialist team will be working with individuals or couples who are at risk of sleeping rough for the first time and those at risk of returning to sleeping rough.

In addition a further £850,000 has been allocated by the Council and Cornwall Housing to produce a long-term Cornwall Rough Sleeping Strategy.

Joyce said: ’The stop/start short term initiatives of the past need to be underpinned with a properly resourced multi-agency strategy which will tackle the issue of rough sleeping head on.’

Members of the public who have concerns about a rough sleeper in their area should go to the Streetlink website www.streetlink.org.uk or phone Streetlink on 0300 500 0914.