County Durham receives £6 million boost for homelessness support

By Jarrad Hart

Durham County Council have announced that an extra £6 million will be put towards tackling homelessness in County Durham following a successful bid to the government’s Single Homeless Accommodation Programme (SHAP).

The new funding includes £4.6 million that will go towards 32 new bed spaces and supported accommodation, £1.8 million of which will be funded from Durham County Council’s own Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, with the remaining £2.7 million being provided by Homes England.

A further £1.6 million will come from the Department for Levelling Up, which will provide additional specialist support services for those housed under the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

Durham County Council have stated that the funding will be targeted towards both rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping, with an emphasis on those aged 18 to 25. The ONS 2021 National Census found that those aged 15 to 25 were the most disproportionately affected by homelessness.

Councillor James Rowlandson said, “we are committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness” and added that “this project isn’t just aimed at providing accommodation – it includes wrap around support tailored to each individual”.

A review of homelessness by Durham County Council in 2022-23 found approximately 120 people were living on the streets. This review formed the basis for the current Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy expected to be in place until 2029.  

The charity Homeless Link reported in its 2022 annual review that the number of homeless accommodation services nationwide remains 38% lower than in 2010, whilst a lack of support services continues to be “the biggest barrier for accommodation providers”.

Image: Evelyn Simak via Geograph