Government set to add £432m for rough-sleeping support

The government is set to add £432 million to its rough-sleeping programme in Wednesday’s Budget, bringing total funding to £874 million and extending support through the end of the current Parliament. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is due to host a Downing Street summit on Monday with charities, businesses and local leaders to discuss efforts to help people sleeping rough. The funding increase is expected to be confirmed by Chancellor John Healey in his Budget statement on Wednesday; the announcement had not yet been formally confirmed in the reports published ahead of it. The government says the programme aims to ensure every rough sleeper in England has a route off the streets by Christmas. That commitment can mean either moving into accommodation by Christmas or receiving an offer of support intended to prevent rough sleeping. It is not a guarantee that every person will be placed in accommodation by then. The proposed £432 million comes on top of £442 million committed earlier this year. The additional funding is intended to sustain the programme until the end of the current Parliament, in 2029, and build on measures that include emergency accommodation and practical support....