Funding Row as North East Gets Lowest Share of Homelessness Support

Local TV

A Labour minister has defended the Government’s record on tackling homelessness in the North East after leading charities warned they’re stuck in “crisis response mode”.

Transcript

00:00A Labour minister has defended the government's record on tackling homelessness in the North East

00:05after leading charities warned they're stuck in crisis response mode.

00:09Concerns quickly emerged when it was revealed the North East would receive just 1.5 million patents,

00:14the smallest share of any region in England.

00:17Homelessness charities including Changing Lives and Amias North East say the funding falls far short of what's needed to deliver lasting change.

00:26In response, the government have said that the top-up funding means the North East has now received an extra £6.5 million this year.

00:34Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern said,

00:38We are determined to tackle homelessness across the country.

00:41We've invested £19.1 million in critical homelessness support services in the North East,

00:47a £6.5 million increase in the last year.

00:50Recent figures show there was an estimate of 124 people sleeping rough across the North East on a single night in autumn 2024.

00:59While this is the lowest total of any English region, it's more than double the figures recorded two years earlier.

01:06And 9 out of 12 local authority areas across the North East and Taze Valley now have homelessness rates at or above the national average.

01:14But sector leaders say the North East's shares of funding doesn't reflect the scale of local need.

01:20Stephen Bell, OBE and CEO of Changing Lives, warned that without fair, sustained investment,

01:26services will remain stuck in crisis mode rather than being able to plan ahead.

01:31Ruth Parker from Amias North East echoed those concerns,

01:35pointing out the region's 1.7% share of funding compared with £8.2 million for the North West and £36.5 million for London.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended