Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough.

Rough sleeping is dangerous and no one should ever have to sleep rough. The Government is building a country that is fit for the future which cares for the most vulnerable in our society. We remain committed halving rough sleeping over the course of this parliament and ending it by 2027, ensuring everyone has a roof over their head and receives all the support they need to rebuild their lives.

Homeless Link conducts an annual survey of the capacity, support and services available to people who become homeless in England, including emergency accommodation, which is available online: https://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/our-research/annual-review-of-single-homelessness-support-in-england

Through our Rough Sleeping Initiative we have been working closely with 83 local authorities, looking at existing provision and proposals to boost the immediate support available to people living on the streets and help them into accommodation. The £30 million fund will be used to provide an additional 1,750 additional bed spaces for rough sleepers and an additional 531 dedicated homelessness workers. The funding will also help improve the co-ordination of services available to those in need and at risk.