CORNWALL has been awarded £925,664 of funding from the government to tackle homelessness.

The funding, which was announced on World Homeless Day, will be spent on supporting children and families, tackling rough sleeping, and strengthening drug and alcohol treatment and support.

Cornwall Council will receive and manage the funding, awarded via three pots within the government’s national £84 million programme.

There has been £706,999 awarded via the rough sleeping prevention and recovery grant, which is flexible funding for local authorities to prevent people sleeping rough and help them stay off the streets. This could mean strengthening local services on offer, partnering with charities and community organisations, providing sustainable accommodation and specialist physical and mental health support workers and treatment. It also funds mayoral authorities to play a bolder role in preventing rough sleeping, based on issues and gaps they face in their regions.

There has been £141,156 awarded in support for children and families. This will increase access to support and services for families living in temporary accommodation such as access to basic facilities like laundry services, Wi-Fi and storage, helping with energy bills, food or local leisure facilities, and travel to help keep children in school and help pay for school uniforms. These support services will make a tangible impact on children’s quality of life whilst they remain in need.

There has also been £77,509 awarded from the rough sleeping drug and alcohol treatment component of the drug and alcohol treatment, recovery and improvement grant. Delivered by Department of Health and Social Care, the funding will provide evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment and wrap around support for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough.

Cornwall Labour MPs Noah Law, Perran Moon, Anna Gelderd and Jayne Kirkham have worked together to secure the funding.

Mr Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said: “I fully support this Labour government in putting its money where its mouth is on tackling homelessness. I know from speaking to constituents that this is an issue which blights the lives of thousands of people, from all walks of life here in Cornwall.

“I made election pledges to tackle the Cornish housing crisis and revitalise our towns, and I will be pushing for Cornwall Council to make sure this money is put to best use. That means helping local people who are experiencing extremely challenging times through homelessness – including the 25,000 people on the waiting list for social housing.

“I also want to see these funds used to help tackle the knock-on impacts of rough sleeping, drug and alcohol issues within our town centres. This comes shortly after our Policing Blitzes in St Austell and Newquay to tackle antisocial behaviour which led to positive results across the area."

Anna Gelderd, MP for South East Cornwall, added: “The moral stain of homelessness and rough-sleeping increased in our area under the last Conservative government. After working on local housing cases and speaking with people in our community I am pleased to see that tackling this problem is a priority.

“I am pleased this Labour government is taking action and providing the resources needed to address this crisis in our area and around the country.”

Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, added: "On this World Homeless Day, this funding is so needed for those children and families who are homeless and in temporary accommodation in Cornwall. It will help them with essentials and help children to remain in their schools which is often difficult because of the distances in the duchy."

Perran Moon, MP for Camborne and Redruth, said: "As MP for one of the most deprived constituencies in the country, funding for homelessness and the basics of life are quite literally lifelines for many local people. With deprivation comes drug and alcohol dependency and the antisocial behaviour that follows. So I'm delighted that there is funding to also support those absolutely vital wrap-around services for those that are dependent on drugs and alcohol."

The funding forms part of a new £84 million cash injection to councils across the country, which will support thousands of people facing homelessness. At the heart of the package is immediate help for children and families in temporary accommodation.

It’s designed to support councils with the highest pressures to deliver a range of services to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. This includes strengthening partnerships and services with voluntary, community, and faith sector organisations, supporting children experiencing homelessness and funding evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment for vulnerable individuals.

It comes as record levels of households are in temporary accommodation across the country, including nearly 170,000 children. After 14 years of Conservative government, levels of rough sleeping have more than doubled since 2010.

The investment provides tailored services for those experiencing long-term rough sleeping – including mental health support, drug and alcohol treatment and sustainable accommodation – ensuring people get the help they need to rebuild their lives.

In parallel, Government is providing wider support to help families trapped in temporary accommodation, drive up housing standards and build more social and affordable homes.

Labour’s Housing Secretary, Steve Reed MP, added: “Growing numbers of people have been abandoned to sleep rough on the streets and children left in squalid, overcrowded conditions.

“This government will not stand idly by and allow that to continue. We will make different choices. That’s why we are investing £1 billion to give homeless people the security of a roof over their heads and get back on track to end homelessness for good.”