The petition of residents of the UK,
Declares that there were 35 homeless men and women living on the streets of Corby during the winter of 2014-2015; further that they are without a home through no fault of their own; further that the work of local charities, churches and other organisations does not suffice to ease their situation; and further that an online petition on this matter was signed by 677 individuals.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to put pressure on Corby Borough Council to provide adequate housing for Corby’s homeless people.
And the petitioners remain, etc.
[P001681]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Marcus Jones):
Nobody should ever have to sleep rough, and the Government remain absolutely committed to preventing and reducing homelessness.
We have increased funding for central programmes to prevent and reduce homelessness to £139 million over the next four years. This will include a new national £10 million programme to support and scale up innovative ways to tackle rough sleeping, and a new £10 million Social Impact Bond fund to help the most entrenched rough sleepers move off the streets. These programmes will build on the success of our No Second Night Out initiative and London’s existing Social Impact Bond. As well as this, we will also be launching an additional £100 million programme for low-cost move on accommodation, including for rough sleepers leaving hostels
Local authorities, in partnership with frontline organisations, play a vital role in preventing and reducing homelessness. In protecting homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, totalling £315 million by 2019-20, we expect them to provide quality advice and assistance to those that approach them for help. Since 2010, this investment has helped local authorities prevent or relieve over 1 million households from becoming homeless. The Government are also considering options, including legislation, to prevent even more people from facing a homelessness crisis in the first place. In doing so, we are looking to learn from other countries who have innovated in the way they deal with homelessness.