An extra £2.1 million has been allocated to help tackle youth homelessness and rough sleeping, Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant has announced.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The funding is in addition to the £8m of funding provided via the Homelessness Prevention Grant programme and the £6m allocated to local authorities to prevent homelessness.
Local Authorities, working with voluntary sector organisations, will be invited to apply for the funding for projects which address rough sleeping, youth homelessness, people with a mental health need who are homeless or potentially homeless, and improving access to the private rented sector for people in housing need. As these issues are often interlinked, projects which address these linkages will be particularly encouraged.
The announcement comes as an evaluation report of the Welsh Government’s homelessness legislation under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 is published. The report found that overall, the increased focus on prevention introduced under the Act has led to the prevention of homelessness for a larger number of people than previously but that certain groups, such as single men, care leavers and those experiencing multiple issues have not benefitted to the same extent. The report also highlighted variations across Wales in the delivery of services.
The Cabinet Secretary said:
"Providing people with a safe, warm and secure home remains a key priority. The report published today shows that Local authorities have made a positive start in implementing the legislation we introduced in 2015 to help everyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
"There is more we can do however, particularly for those groups who are still struggling to get the help they need. Along with the £14m I announced earlier this year, the funding I have announced today will be available to projects that aim to target these groups and tackle the issues they face."