Homeless people are getting helped off the streets - thanks to a £45,000 Government grant to Basildon Community Resource Centre.

The money over three years will pay for a co-ordinator, supervisor and housing assistant. It comes from the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions' homelessness action programme.

The centre had to bid for the money and its application was assessed to see how it fitted in with Basildon Council's strategy to tackle homelessness and sleeping rough.

It is part of of the Government drive to beat homelessness by working in partnership with the voluntary sector, local authorities and others.

By 2002 it aims to cut by two thirds the number of people sleeping rough on the streets, and tackle the causes of homelessness in the first place.

The resource centre is one of 254 national and local schemes working outside London to try and prevent homelessness.

Now the Department of Health is inviting voluntary organisations to bid, through local authorities, for funding through under the drug and alcohol specific grant programme. It is providing £1.5 million to help homeless mentally ill people and is making a priority of supporting homeless people outside London with drug and alcohol problems. The closing date for bids is Friday, March 5.

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