The Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly hard for homeless people; however those in the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch areas are to get further support.

More than £1 million has been awarded to BCP Council to help people who are sleeping rough.

This is made up of £140,000 from the Government’s Cold Weather Fund, £436,000 to fund enhanced health, social care and supported housing services and £494,000 to support those people who have been sleeping rough and are in emergency accommodation who require intensive help with drug and alcohol dependency.

Cllr Robert Lawton, portfolio holder for Housing, said, “We welcome this extra funding which will be essential in protecting the most vulnerable during the pandemic. Following the latest lockdown, the Government has urged local authorities to redouble its efforts to accommodate people sleeping rough and encourage them to register with a GP so that they can receive a Covid vaccine in line with the priority groups.  For us, our work to support people off the streets and into emergency accommodation has never stopped since the first lockdown in March 2020. We will continue to offer support and accommodation to anyone who is sleeping rough in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.”

Reacting to the additional funding Andrew Teale, outreach manager of St Mungo’s said, “We and other homelessness charities urged the Government to provide a crucial and decisive response to support people sleeping rough who now face the double threat of severely cold weather and a continued health emergency.

“We welcome this response and will work with BCP Council and our health partners to provide both the immediate accommodation and the health care advice that is needed to protect lives.”

More than 370 people who were rough sleeping or who were at risk of rough sleeping on the streets across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have been supported in to emergency accommodation since the first lockdown in March 2020.