Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is taking proactive steps to address homelessness by establishing a new Homelessness Prevention Forum and developing a comprehensive Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2025.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is establishing a new Homelessness Prevention Forum as part of its ongoing efforts to combat rough sleeping and provide housing for those without permanent residences. This initiative is outlined in a report presented to the council meeting on February 6, 2025, by Cllr Damian Talbot, the council's housing and public health lead. The report also indicates that the authority is developing a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2025.
Significant financial support has been received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for 2025/26, totaling over £1.8 million in Whitehall grants. This funding includes a Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) of £794,388 dedicated to preventing and reducing homelessness, as well as providing temporary accommodation for families facing homelessness due to eviction or domestic violence. Additionally, a Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant of £362,200 and a Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme payment of £261,608 have been allocated for 2025/26. Other relevant government grants include the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant of £265,363. The borough will also benefit from a portion of the £2 million allocated to The Changing Futures Lancashire program, which provides long-term support for adults experiencing multiple disadvantages, including homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse, and criminal history. Cllr Talbot's report highlights a notable change in the HPG allocation for 2025/26, with a new ringfence restricting the amount spent on temporary accommodation to a maximum of 51% of the total grant. This change is expected to have minimal impact on Blackburn with Darwen Council, as they currently have low temporary accommodation usage and expenditure, primarily allocating the majority of the HPG to staffing costs and activities aimed at homelessness prevention and sustaining housing solutions. The average proportion of HPG spent on temporary accommodation costs in the Northwest region is 30%, whereas Blackburn with Darwen consistently spends less than 5% due to its self-funding temporary accommodation model and its strong record in homelessness prevention and relief. The council plans to focus on upstream prevention activities, which will be further refined as the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2025 is developed. The strategy's development will involve a comprehensive analysis of homelessness trends and data, leading to the launch of the new Homeless Prevention Forum for Blackburn with Darwen. This forum will bring together representatives from various council directorates, along with statutory and voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise partners. Notably, the forum will also include individuals with lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping. An inaugural meeting is scheduled for March 2025
Homelessness Rough Sleeping Blackburn With Darwen Council Prevention Forum Strategy MHCLG Grants Changing Futures Lancashire
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