Rough sleepers in North Devon are to receive additional support through the colder months, thanks to funding allocations given by the government to local authorities identified as facing the greatest pressures in winter 2024-25.

North Devon Council was one of the 115 local authorities selected to receive a share of a £10m national emergency fund, which the government says will protect rough sleepers by paying for access to a safe and warm bed. It is aimed at preventing unnecessary deaths and the allocation of funds was based on the need identified, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson said.

The council's Enhanced Outreach team is to receive £30,422, which will bolster the existing support they provide to the district's rough sleepers. While pressures on rough sleeping services increase in the winter, addressing it is a year-round focus for the council, working with a range of specialists, such as a GP, community psychiatric nurse, a physical health nurse, a drug and alcohol specialist, plus other highly skilled support workers. Together, the service provides those sleeping rough with opportunities to break the cycle and find somewhere to call home.

Lead Member for Housing at North Devon Council, Councillor Graham Bell said: "We are grateful to receive this funding, which will make a real difference in our efforts to support rough sleepers as winter approaches.

"This grant will continue the vital partnership between North Devon Council and the Freedom Center into 2025 to provide vital shelter, support and reintegration routes for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. However, while this grant is very welcome,  it highlights the very real need for a fixed funding model that would see homeless provision funded in the same way that health services are funded. A fixed funding model would enable authorities to consider long-term solutions to homelessness and ensure that no one is ever left out in the cold over Christmas."

The Government grant must be spent by the end of March 2025.

Residents are asked to use the Street link website to report a rough sleeper they are concerned about. Anyone who believes they are at risk of becoming homeless should get in touch with North Devon Council as soon as possible on 01271 388870 or email customerservices@northdevon.gov.uk.  

More information about Freedom Community Alliance is available on their website.