ROUGH sleepers in Colchester are to be offered more support after Colchester Council secured a grant worth more than £800,000 from the Government to tackle homelessness.

The Rough Sleeper Fund, which intends to help those living on the street rebuild their lives, has seen the Government put together a £2bn package which will go towards providing 14,000 beds and employing 3,000 support staff to help people find work and access mental health services across England.

Alongside the council’s housing arm, Colchester Borough Homes, Colchester Council secured £811,599 in total in order to continue interventions designed to reduce the number of people sleeping rough throughout the borough.

The first 18 months of the coronavirus pandemic saw levels of homelessness in Britain – and Colchester – rise significantly, with data from homeless charity Shelter showing 540 households in Colchester sought council support after becoming homeless between April 2020 and the end of September 2021.

Earlier this year, it was reported 31 households in Colchester were threatened with homelessness through no-fault evictions last autumn, up from 17 from the same time period in 2019.

Councillor Julie Young, portfolio holder for housing and communities, said the funding will provide support in addition to what is already offered by existing charities and projects.

She said: “The council, with the assistance of Colchester Borough Homes and a range of local support and accommodation providers, already delivers several projects that are helping to make a real difference to the lives of rough sleepers and vulnerable people at risk of homelessness.

“The reasons why people find themselves in a vulnerable position on the streets are extremely complex – we believe people should be treated as individuals and have an opportunity to access a package of support from appropriate agencies.”

It is hoped the new funding will deliver a range of support services to identify people who are or at risk of sleeping rough, as well as offer them access to an accommodation pathway.

It means that since 2016, Colchester Council and Colchester Borough Homes have together secured more than £2.5m from the Government’s rough sleeper funding streams.