| 21/18 | ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDING FOR THE ROUGH SLEEPER INITIATIVE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT APRIL TO JUNE 2021 | ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDING FOR THE ROUGH SLEEPER INITIATIVE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT APRIL TO JUNE 2021
The Head of Housing summarised the report. The report was for the recommendation to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance the acceptance of £77,657 from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for the Rough Sleeper Initiative. The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance was informed that since the publishing of the report that a further £25,000 had been awarded for the Rough Sleeper Initiative bringing the total to £102,657. This funding would support the delivery of a specialist housing led project for medium to high needs rough sleepers and homeless service users for the period of April to June 2021
Mansfield has the highest number of rough sleepers in the County of Nottinghamshire, excluding the City. From the official rough sleeper snapshot that was taken in November 2019, the figure was 22. The Mansfield First Steps project has been a very successful project in reducing the rough sleeper figures in Mansfield. The official 2020 rough sleeper count number was 7 and on the weekly street outreach report we are finding 2 rough sleepers.
The Portfolio Holder was informed that a further £346,129 will be bid for to extend the project from July 2021 until the end of March 2022.
Referrals for the project will come directly from the Mansfield District Council Homeless team and the Rough Sleeper Action Groups. Mansfield District Council will continue to have full nomination rights into the project.
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance stated that this project had been very successful in reducing the numbers down from 22 in 2019 down to 7 in 2020.
Councillor Whitby queried if the numbers of rough sleepers differed from week to week?
The Officer responded that numbers were recorded weekly by Outreach Workers, numbers had been recorded as low as 1 and annually the recorded annual figures had been reduced substantially. The figures were transient.
Councillor Whitby was pleased with the reduction of rough sleepers. Councillor Whitby stated that he hoped that the further bids for funding would be successful.
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance formally accepted the recommendations:
(i) That the Council accepts the relevant funding for Rough Sleeping Initiative, MHCLG to be able to fund the housing led project. The amount of £77,657 to extend the project from April to June 2021
(ii) That the Council accepts £25,000 of funding offered following the publishing of the Report. Payment to be issued in April 2021 for Rough Sleeper Initiative Uplift funding that the Council will use to fund an additional YMCA worker for the MCN Project
(iii) That the 2021/2022 General Fund revenue budgets be amended accordingly.
Report of the Head of Housing
Decision Notice | RESOLVED BY THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR CORPORATE AND FINANCE:
i) That the Council accept the amount of £77,657 to extend the project from April to June 2021
(ii) That the Council accept £25,000 of funding offered following the publishing of the Report. Payment to be issued in April 2021 for Rough Sleeper Initiative uplift funding that the Council will use to fund an additional YMCA worker for the MCN Project
(iii) That the 2021/2022 General Fund revenue budgets be amended accordingly.
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