HOMELESSNESS and rough sleeping in Somerset will be tackled over the next three years thanks to new funding. 

Government cash will now allow North Somerset Council to support rough sleepers across the district.

More than £950,000 was awarded by the Rough Sleeping Initiative Fund to help eliminate vagrancy through outreach teams that will directly support rough sleepers, and assign a one-to-one specialist to help those enter accommodation as soon as possible. 

It will also allow the council to work with housing providers to bring forward Housing First and Housing Led accommodation which aims to get people into secure tenancies.

The council will continue to work with the YMCA. 

"We are delighted our bid for funding was successful and this will make a real difference to people who find themselves sleeping rough," North Somerset Council's executive member for housing, Cllr Mike Bell, said.

"The causes of rough sleeping are often complex including moments of crisis, trauma and other factors. This money will allow us to work with local partners to continue to deliver services which reduce rough sleeping."

The council says it listened to people with lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping and met with local partners, including charities and faith groups, to help devise best policy. 

North Somerset Council will work with the Street 2 Settled partnership, a wide support network of many organisations which include Somewhere To Go, Community Response, Citizens Advice Bureau and We Are With You.

The bid was approved by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Cllr Bell added: "I am pleased that we have already secured 12 units of accommodation in partnership with Alliance Homes and Curo as part of Housing First and Housing Led initiatives.

"Over the past year we have helped 37 rough sleepers into settled housing and we are committed to continue to offer all rough sleepers a way off the streets and an appropriate move-on plan. 

"Homelessness is not just a housing issue and we cannot reduce rough sleeping on our own."

If you are concerned about a person sleeping rough, contact StreetLink by calling 0300 5000 914 or complete an online report at www.streetlink.org.uk.