LOCAL MP and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Michelle Donelan, has won £2.2million for homelessness prevention in Wiltshire and secured £8.5million for a nationwide scheme for veteran homelessness.
Wiltshire Council will be allocated a total of £2,203,828 for the next two years from the Homelessness Prevention Grant.
The money has come from a £654million government funding package for battling homelessness.
The funds will be used to provide temporary accommodation for families, help individuals at risk of becoming homeless, pay deposits for new homes and mediate with landlords to avoid evictions.
The veteran homelessness prevention programme Op FORTITUDE will provide £8.5million of funding to help deliver services in more than 900 housing units in England, where specialist help with health, education and employment needs is provided to former armed forces personnel.
Working with charities, this funding will ensure a single central point for local authorities and charities to identify those veterans in need and refer them to a network of support.
Over Christmas, a temporary scheme was in place to ensure that no veteran slept rough.
Michelle Donelan MP said, “It’s absolutely right that this Government funding allows us to provide support to those who have heroically served our country in the armed forces and end veteran homelessness for good this year.
“Wiltshire has a strong connection to veterans and so I will continue to stand up for our local veteran community and was very supportive of having a new Veterans’ Minister in Cabinet.
“Securing over £2.2million of Government funding for the next two years for Wiltshire Council, meanwhile, enables us to protect the most vulnerable in our society and those at risk from becoming homeless.
“If you know of anyone locally who may need some additional support, please do ask them to get in touch with me.”
From the Government’s homelessness prevention pot, £24million will also help councils support homeless domestic abuse victims, ensuring no one has to stay with their abuser for fear of not having a roof over their head.
This funding forms part of the Government’s wider £2 billion package of support to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
If you know of anyone who is homeless in the area, contact the rough sleeping team at Wiltshire Council, Roughsleeperteam@wiltshire.gov.uk.
You can also get in touch with Michelle Donelan by emailing, michelle.donelan .mp@parliament.uk or give her office a call, 01249 704465.
