Sheffield among biggest beneficiaries of emergency rough sleeping funding

Sheffield City Council has received the largest grant of any local authority outside London as part of emergency funding to deal with homelessness.

The £241,000 grant is designed to support people sleeping rough during the winter.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "Sheffield is making progress in their efforts to tackle rough sleeping pressures, with a focus on addressing instances of long-term rough sleeping which is having an impact in the local area.

"This additional funding will support the local authority to maintain a strong focus on supporting individuals with a history of long-term rough sleeping into accommodation this winter."

The cash is part of £10million allocated to councils across the UK, more than £1m of which has been awarded to those in Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.

Sixteen areas in total across the region will benefit.

Leeds (£155,000), York (£87,000) and Bradford (£48,000) are among those to receive support.

The latest official statistics show more than 358,000 households contacted their local authority for support after being threatened with homelessness or losing their home in 2023-24, up more than 10% in a year.

The number of rough sleepers who died on the streets increased by 42% in 2023.

Homeless people are up to 12 times more likely than the general population to die prematurely.

Sheffield was chosen in 2023 to be part of a five year campaign launched by the Prince of Wales aimed at ending homelessness in the UK.

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