Peterborough gets extra £1 million Government funding to help look after the city's homeless people
Peterborough is to get an extra £1 million in Government support to help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping across the city.
The new £938,260 funding will help support a number of projects in partnership with local organisation that help to provide food, clothing and a safe place to sleep for many people who are enduring homelessness.
It is an extra grant for this financial year and will boost support over the winter and comes on top of £4.5 million the Government has already provided to Peterborough City Council.
The new money is part of an £84 million package the Government is allocating to councils across the country to support thousands of people facing homelessness.
The funding will help:
- Prevent and reduce rough sleeping, stabilising current numbers and supporting individuals with complex needs.
- Strengthen prevention services, ensuring fewer people sleep rough before accessing help.
- Enhance collaboration with the voluntary, community and faith sector.
- Prepare for winter 2025/26, ensuring services are ready to respond to seasonal pressures.
Councillor Shabina Qayyum, the council leader, said: “This money will benefit some of most vulnerable residents – in particular children and young people.
"It will help them to rebuild their lives and find a safe, stable home.
"Ultimately it will help save lives in our city."
Councillor Christian Hogg, cabinet member for housing and regulatory services in Peterborough, said: “It is fitting that this money has been made available to us today, on World Homelessness Day and will provide a good uplift to the services we provide in the city tackling rough sleeping and helping to prevent homelessness.”
Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes said: “Preventing rough sleeping and homelessness is a priority for Peterborough, especially as we approach the winter months.
"We have already seen an increase in funding over the last year as the Labour Government has boosted areas like ours.
“This additional funding is welcome.
"Homelessness is a preventable tragedy.
"We need to be doing all we can to end the scandal of families turning to B&Bs, emergency accommodation, or, indeed, living on the streets.
Mr Pakes added: “I’d really like to thank our local partners like the Light Project, Salvation Army, and many others that work tirelessly alongside the council, to support families and individuals in need.”
North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling said: “We are seeing this Labour government invest in Peterborough on an incredible scale.
"Just last month we had over £40 million announced to build up some of our most left-behind neighborhoods, and now we’ve had this additional £1 million to support our most in-need residents.
"We will keep fighting to get Peterborough the funding we need.
"Our city is no longer going to be ignored.”