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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to reduce homelessness in London.

This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping, which is why we have now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle it over the spending review period, including the £75 million Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI). We are particularly encouraged that across the 83 RSI areas rough sleeping numbers have fallen by almost a fifth. In its first year, councils have used the investment to create an additional 1,750 beds and 500 rough sleeping support staff this means there are more people in warm beds tonight as a direct result of government funding

London is undoubtedly the most challenging area in terms of rough sleeping. The RSI has provided a total of £7.8 million funding to 22 London boroughs in 2018/19 to support rough sleepers off the streets. £9.4 million has provisionally been allocated for 2019/20. The RSI also directly funds the Greater London Authority (GLA) and has provided £3.3 million for 2018/19. Among other things, this has funded the expansion London Street Rescue outreach, floating assessment hubs that tackle specific problem areas, additional staging post accommodation to aid people in their journey away from rough sleeping, as well as a winter night shelter fund and staff to help people with mental health issues. We have provisionally allocated £2.9 million of RSI funding to the GLA for 2019/20.