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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps he has taken to reduce (a) homelessness and (b) rough sleeping in Enfield North constituency ahead of winter.

In October we announced an additional £65 million one-off top up to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, for local authorities to help vulnerable households with rent arrears to reduce the risk of them being evicted and becoming homeless, bringing total spend this year from the Homelessness Prevention Grant to £375 million. Enfield received a winter top up allocation for £1,871,957, in addition to the £8,927,794 support already received for 21/22.

Enfield had a Rough Sleeping Initiative allocation of £1,400,750 this year. Furthermore, we have made a £10 million Winter Pressures Fund available to local authorities who present the greatest need, including Enfield Council, to help them to bring forward self-contained accommodation and to support rough sleepers off the streets this winter. We are expecting an application from Enfield to the Winter Pressures Fund in due course.

Overall, the Government has committed over £800 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping this year, further demonstrating the Government’s commitment to end rough sleeping this Parliament and to fully enforce the Homelessness Reduction Act.