Charity says Government funding "won't go far enough" to get people off the streets

The Government earlier this week announced its strategy to end rough sleeping by 2027.

The Christian Kitchen – a charity that feeds homeless and marginalised people in Waltham Forest, welcomed the funding.

Norman Coe, the chairman of Christian Kitchen said: “There are so many homeless people on the streets and for many years they have not been reached.”

The funding includes £30 million support for mental health and addiction services as well as £50 million on homes outside London to help house homeless people.

But Mr Coe raised concerns that the money would not go far enough to tackle rough sleeping.

He said: “It’s a move in the right direction but I don’t think there’s a big enough understanding about the needs of homeless people because each one is different and has different needs.

“It’s not just money that will solve homelessness there needs to be a programme that supports people on the streets.

“Homeless people need looking after because otherwise they will crash and burn.”

The charity feeds around 50 to 70 homeless people a night in Walthamstow and Mr Coe said a lot of homeless people have often been involved with drugs and gambling which has led them to be on the streets.

Mr Coe said: “They often have mental health issues that need addressing.”

He also feels that using the money to help provide housing outside of London for rough sleepers needs to be accompanied by other support for homeless people, such as providing them with a caseworker.

Mr Coe said: “If they don’t have the support they need they need they will just come back to London.”

Homelessness charity Streets of London says around 4,750 people were estimated to be sleeping rough on any given night in England in 2017.

Tom Copley, the Labour London Assembly housing spokesperson, criticised the way the Government had been dealing with homelessness.

He said that the funding would be “insufficient” to deal with rough sleeping.

Mr Copley said: “The money announced today will be used to try to fire fight the dreadful and predictable consequences of the government’s welfare cuts, which have been the one of the drivers of rising homelessness.”

Conservative London Assembly member Andrew Boff said he is “pleased” the Government is taking the issue seriously and will help to tackle the “root causes” of rough sleeping.

He said: “One person without a roof over their head is one person too many so it is entirely right that the Government has committed to end rough sleeping by 2027.”