Milton Keynes City Council has been handed a £450,000 boost from the government to help tackle rough sleeping in the city.
After initially being allocated £3,373,905 through the Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25, Milton Keynes will now receive £3,830,710 thanks to an extra £34.6 million nationally announced by the Government.
This additional funding will provide up to 4,300 beds and 630 support staff (FTE) across the country, on top of existing Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 provision.
Milton Keynes North MP Ben Everitt recently welcomed Rough Sleeping Minister Felicity Buchan to Milton Keynes to meet with local charity the Bus Shelter MK to hear about the work they are doing to combat homelessness and how the Government can support further.
Ben commented: “We’ve made great progress in recent years in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in Milton Keynes and across the country but one person living on the streets is still one too many.
“This Conservative Government is absolutely dedicated to supporting rough sleepers and those at risk of being homeless and this further £450,000 in funding demonstrates that.
“I will continue to work closely with our incredible local charities like the Bus Shelter MK and the Government to continue to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in Milton Keynes.”
Iain Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South, said: “This Conservative Government is committed to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in Milton Keynes, and this extra funding will continue the work being done.
“Across the city, we have charities doing brilliant work to help get people off the street and into accommodation and meaningful employment, giving them a second chance at life. The extra £450,000 will help more rough sleepers have access to support and accommodation.”
Felicity Buchan, the Rough Sleeping Minister, added: “One year on from the launch of our ground-breaking strategy we remain as committed as ever to ending rough sleeping.
“The full weight of government remains behind this very important pledge, and this can be seen in today’s funding boost to provide thousands more beds and hundreds more support staff into the heart of communities where they are most needed.”
