Under the Tory Government, rough sleeping has increased year on year in London and by a massive 165% across the country since 2010. In response, Islington Labour’s councillors for Finsbury Park, which has seen ongoing issues with rough sleeping, are calling for Islington Council to receive the funding it needs to support homeless people in the borough.
As Tory austerity continues, with more cuts to council funding and the roll-out of Universal Credit, more people are at risk of finding themselves without a safe and decent place to call home.
Cllr Gary Heather, Islington Labour Councillor for Finsbury Park ward, said “We’ve seen the devastating impact that Tory austerity and welfare cuts are having on our community, and the troubling rise in people sleeping rough. No one should be forced to sleep on the streets, even for one night, which is why we are calling on the Tory Government to give the Council the funding it needs to support homeless people and to tackle the homelessness crisis.”
Islington Labour is committed to ending homelessness in the borough. The recently passed Council Budget will build on recent successes in tackling rough sleeping by investing in extra support for homeless people through the Council’s outreach team, buying temporary accommodation to improve standards, and building more council homes – prioritised for local people.
However, the Government has failed to fully fund the cost of meeting new responsibilities local councils now have towards homeless people. As a result, Islington Council faces a £1.3 million gap in funding from next year, on top of the 70% national government funding cuts it has received since 2010, to meet the cost of providing support for homeless people. The new responsibilities were welcomed by councils when the Homelessness Reduction Act was introduced, but have long warned that funding made available by the government was insufficient.
Cllr Diarmaid Ward, Executive member for Housing & Development, said “Tackling the homelessness crisis is a top priority for Islington Council. Our approach to tackling homelessness is about engagement and offering tailored support to help people find accommodation and address the challenges in their lives. But this is made harder by the massive cuts the Council has already faced, and because of the Government’s failure to fully fund the costs of meeting the new responsibilities the Council has.”
The Council works closely with charities, the police, community groups and others to bring together its efforts to support homelessness people, and the often complex needs they have. This approach has already helped 34 people who were sleeping rough in Finsbury Park into secure accommodation.
We need the Tory Government to give Islington Council the funding it needs to continue to support homeless people and to tackle the homelessness crisis.
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