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<p>The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one
should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government
Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people
who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping
once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness
and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative
investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding
for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces.</p><p>The Chancellor
has said that there will be a Spending Review this year, and the Government will be
looking at long term funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services as part
of that. We have made very clear that homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority
for the Government. We are working with other Government departments to assess what
more can be done to combat rough sleeping and wider homelessness. This work is being
overseen by the Ministerial Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce which
includes HM Treasury and will play an important part of our preparations for the forthcoming
Spending Review.</p>
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