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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department plans to put in place to ensure effective future accommodation pathways can be offered to all rough sleepers currently in emergency accommodation.

We have taken huge steps working with local authorities and their partners to protect rough sleepers during the pandemic. This work has not stopped, and by the end of January, we had supported over 37,000 people with over 11,000 in emergency accommodation and over 26,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation.

We are committed to ending rough sleeping within this parliament, and that means making sure as few people supported return to the streets as possible.

Our work focuses on helping people find longer term accommodation, as well as supporting those new to the street. Our work includes:

• The £433 million Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme to provide 6,000 move-on homes, available as long-term assets, and accompanying support services to those who are rough sleeping or who have a history of sleeping rough.
• £203 million investment through the Rough Sleeping Initiative this year (2021-2022) - an 81% increase from the £112 million provided last year - funding up to 14,500 bed spaces and 2,700 support staff across England. This includes immediate work to support people off the street as well as longer-term housing-led solutions.