Henry Smith MP has welcomed the recent announcement of extra Government funding aimed at tackling the issue of homelessness.
Henry said:
“I’m delighted that this Government has offered the £142,064 in extra funding support to bolster local Council efforts in their fight to reduce the number of people sleeping rough on our streets.
“This is an area in which Crawley has made great steps forward, with Crawley Open House in particular providing a link to support services for those disadvantaged people suffering the effects of homelessness.
“Their efforts at Riverside House have provided both a direct access hostel and a drop-in day centre for anyone in need of help or advice. It accommodates 24 beds for homeless men and women regardless of their circumstances and experienced project workers are available to provide support to them for any issues that they have, such as alcohol abuse.
“This Government is making clear steps to ensuring thousands of vulnerable families have a secure roof over their heads and I fully support these proposals. The extra funding, such as the £142,000 made available to Crawley local authority, will help programmes such as Crawley Open House multiply throughout the country and ensure that the homeless have somewhere to sleep at night.
“With the help of significant Government funding, housing starts are up 30 percent since 2009, which was the lowest rate of house building since the 1920s.”
Commenting in his capacity as Chairman of the Town Hall’s Financial Deprivation Scrutiny Panel, Southgate Councillor Liam Marshall-Ascough said:
“This extra funding from the Government will make a difference to so many homeless people and families in Crawley. Homelessness is an increasing problem and one which the Council is commitment to tackling with a current annual expenditure worth over £300,000 being spent in Crawley on tackling the problem.”
In addition, a new website and telephone service, Streetlink, is expected to be in place by December, ensuring that someone sleeping rough can be found and connected to local services. Too often disadvantaged people are unsure as to how to receive help, and the Streetlink service will offer a practical solution to this longstanding problem.
If you need more information on Crawley Open House, or know someone who is in need of a bed visit http://www.crawleyopenhouse.co.uk, or call 01293 447702.