WORKINGTON MP Mark Jenkinson has welcomed news that Cumbria will receive a total of more than £394,000 to tackle rough sleeping this year.
The Conservatives have announced that councils will receive a share of an additional £112 million through the Rough Sleeping Initiative.
The move is intended to help get people off the streets and into safe and secure accommodation.
An additional £236 million will also fund ‘move on’ accommodation for up to 6,000 rough sleepers, ensuring no one has to sleep on the streets at night.
The scheme is a central pillar of the Government’s strategy to end rough sleeping completely by 2024.
Mark said: “I welcome that funding from Central Government to tackle rough sleeping in my constituency and across Cumbria will increase this year.
“This Government is absolutely determined to end rough sleeping, and I was especially pleased to see them bring forward its target of achieving this from 2027 to 2024 at the last election.
“There is still a lot more we can do, and I will be working with the council and local organisations to ensure the additional funds are spent locally in the most effective way, so that no one in our area has to sleep out in the cold this winter.”
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “I’m determined that we end rough sleeping in this Parliament, meeting our moral obligation to support the most vulnerable in society.
“We will be bringing together housing, addiction, mental health and the criminal justice system as never before to tackle this social ill from every angle.”