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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 we have recently published our Rough
Sleeping Strategy, which will help people who sleep rough now and puts in place the
structures to end rough sleeping once and for all. It sets out the first steps towards
achieving our aim to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and end it altogether by 2027, backed
by £100 million of funding over the next two years.</p><p>We have set up a Rough Sleeping
and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce which brings together ministers from key departments
in preventing and reducing rough sleeping and homelessness, including the Department
for Health and Social Care. The Taskforce will drive forward the implementation and
delivery of our Rough Sleeping Strategy to achieve our commitment. Alongside the Taskforce,
we have an expert Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel formed of key representatives from
the homelessness sector and local government who fed into the Strategy and will continue
to meet.</p><p>We are also committed to working with all local authorities as we move
towards a country where no one should ever sleep rough through our Rough Sleeping
Initiative, in which we are providing 1,750 additional bed spaces for rough sleepers
and an additional 531 dedicated homelessness workers. We are also working with local
areas through measures set out in our Rough Sleeping Strategy such as the Rapid Rehousing
Pathway, strengthening local homelessness strategies and supporting Health and Wellbeing
Boards to recognise and respond to the health needs of people who sleep rough.</p>
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