HC Deb 31 October 1996 vol 284 cc187-9W
Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hostel places have been provided under the rough sleepers initiative; and what has been their occupancy rate during the past two years. [463]

Mr. Clappison

Since the rough sleepers initiative in central London began in 1990, my Department has provided funding for 986 places in nightshelters and hostels. Most of these places were in temporary hostels which have now closed either because the lease on the building has expired or the site has been redeveloped, in some cases to provide hostel accommodation of an improved standard. During 1996–97, my Department is funding 126 places in two nightshelters and two hostels. Occupancy rates exceed 95 per cent. in two of them and are between 85 and 90 per cent. in the other two.

Under the rough sleepers initiative, my Department also provides funding for an annual programme of winter shelters, open from December to March. In 1994–95, 331 places were provided in seven shelters, with occupancy rates of about 89 per cent. In 1995–96, 315 places were provided in seven shelters with occupancy rates in excess of 89 per cent. My Department hopes to fund an enhanced winter shelter programme in 1996–97, providing up to 450 places in central London and 36 places in Bristol, where the rough sleepers initiative also now operates.

Mr. Merchant

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he plans to respond to the findings of evaluations of the extent of rough sleeping in 23 areas identified in the Government's strategy paper "Rough Sleepers Initiative—The Next Challenge". [2112]

Mr. Curry

The success of the rough sleepers initiative has been clearly demonstrated in central London, where it has been operating since 1990. In that time, the number of people sleeping rough on any night has fallen from estimates of over 1,000 to less than 300.

On 4 March this year, I announced that the Government would be making £73 million available for a third phase of the initiative from 1996–97 to 1998–99. The interdepartmental strategy paper "Rough Sleepers Initiative—The Next Challenge" set out our plans for continuing the initiative in central London, where the problem is greatest; expanding the initiative to Bristol, where a major rough sleeping problem had been demonstrated; and assisting evaluations of the extent of rough sleeping in 23 other areas where some evidence of a rough sleeping problem existed, with a view to providing further assistance.

Evaluations of the extent of rough sleeping in 23 areas around the country, undertaken by Shelter on contract to my Department, have now been completed. In total, 375 people were found sleeping rough during single night head counts in all 23 areas. I have considered the findings, along with the range of other information collected as part of each evaluation, including the amount and availability of direct-access hostel provision, the range of existing local services providing help for people sleeping rough, and local authority policies on providing housing for people sleeping rough. From this evidence, I have decided that further assistance should fall into three main categories.

First, I have decided to create new rough sleepers initiative zones in Brighton, Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham, where significant rough sleeping problems have been identified. The local authorities for these areas will be invited to form consortiums of statutory and voluntary sector agencies to develop a local strategy for tackling rough sleeping and to bid for rough sleepers initiative funding, which may be made available for capital projects—such as hostels and permanent accommodation—or revenue projects—such as outreach and resettlement work. I expect the strategies to be based closely on the findings of the evaluations in these areas. The local authorities for Kensington and Chelsea and for Hammersmith and Fulham are being invited to form a single consortium to focus resources on the areas within both boroughs where people sleep rough.

Additionally, I have decided to expand the area covered by the existing central London rough sleepers initiative zones to include parts of the W1 and W2 postal districts in Westminster. My Department will be discussing the arrangements for this expansion with Westminster city council and the chairmen of the existing central London rough sleepers initiative consortiums.

Secondly, I have decided to create a new rough sleepers revenue fund to which local voluntary sector agencies can submit applications for funding of projects, such as outreach and resettlement work. Local authorities, working in close consultation with voluntary sector agencies, will be invited to prepare joint statutory and voluntary sector local strategies for tackling rough sleeping and to identify suitable revenue projects for which applications for funding could be sought. Funding decisions will be based on the strength of the local strategies and on the value for money offered by applications. Initially, I will be inviting the local authorities for Bath, Bournemouth, Cambridge, Ealing, Exeter, Leicester, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and Richmond upon Thames, where rough sleeping problems have been identified, to prepare and submit such strategies. I expect the strategies to be based closely on the findings of the evaluations in these areas.

Subsequently, my Department will be publishing guidance for local authorities on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping in their areas and developing strategies for tackling any problems which exist. In the light of responses to this guidance, I will consider inviting other local authorities to prepare strategies and suggest projects which might be considered for grants from the rough sleepers revenue fund.

Up to £25 million will be available from 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1999 to fund the new rough sleepers initiative zones and the rough sleepers revenue fund.

The Department of Health will also be making available nearly £2 million over the next three years in areas which have been targeted for help under the rough sleepers initiative and the new rough sleepers revenue fund. This help is being made available through the extension of the homeless mentally ill initiative. It will be available to assist local authorities with outreach services and care costs for those people sleeping rough who have mental health problems. One of the primary aims of this additional funding will be to ensure that this vulnerable group is reintroduced to the services which comprise the spectrum of care for mentally ill people.

Thirdly, my Department will be contacting the local authorities for Barnet, Basingstoke, Birmingham, Gloucester, Norwich, Reading, Tower Hamlets, Tunbridge Wells, Waltham Forest and York to offer advice on the findings of the evaluations and action which they might consider to tackle the relatively minor problems of rough sleeping identified in those areas.

I am determined that the hard core of people who sleep rough are given every opportunity to get off the streets and into a better life. These further measures demonstrate the Government's commitment to ensuring that there is no necessity for people to sleep rough. Shelter, Homeless Network, Centrepoint, CHAR and Crisis have indicated their willingness to work nationally with Government, local authorities and other voluntary sector agencies to help make it unnecessary for people to sleep rough.

In addition to these measures to tackle rough sleeping, grants are available from my Department to voluntary sector agencies for the prevention and relief of single homelessness. Some £25 million is being made available through these grants between 1996–97 and 1998–99, under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985.

Copies of the final report on the evaluation exercise have been placed in the Libraries of the House and are available on request from my Department.