Bristol receives government funding to help reduce homelessness

Bristol City Council has received £2.8 million from the Government to support homeless people in the city.

The money will go towards improving front line support for people rough sleeping or those at risk of homelessness.

The city is one of around 270 areas that will share £112 million to enhance the services available to people living on the streets and help them into accommodation.

Around £1 million of the funding will be used to run two year round shelters.

The buildings would provide basic shelter accommodation and access to multi-agency drop in facilities, as well as food provision and activities.

The money will also be used to provide:

• Specialist mental health provision.

• Temporary accommodation with additional health support for people leaving hospital.

• New 'navigators' to help people access a variety of services.

In line with the challenge nationally, Bristol has seen an increase of people sleeping rough over the past five years and the last quarterly counts have found an average of 117 sleeping rough on the street.