Portsmouth councillors call for action as rough sleeping funding faces real-term cuts
Portsmouth councillors have raised the alarm as rough sleeping services are brought in-house due to funding shortfalls.
At a recent Portsmouth City Council cabinet meeting, members discussed ongoing funding for rough sleeping services, which will continue to be run by the Society of St James (SSJ).
The organisation currently operates a rough sleeping hub, 24-hour support teams across three accommodation blocks, and an outreach team.
A council report described the partnership with SSJ as one of the “most significant” grant-funded initiatives supporting rough sleepers in Portsmouth. However, it also highlighted that central government funding has decreased in real terms due to inflation.
As a result, SSJ will provide a reduced service, with the council taking over the day service and outreach work - for the price of £1,070,000.
Cllr Darren Sanders expressed frustration over the funding situation, saying: "Rough sleeping in this city is going down, that is not true of much of the South East. We are an exemplar - that is down to the service we have provided.
"There is, in the next financial year, not one penny more for rough sleepers in this city than the former conservative government is giving us now.
"Charities in this city, who are getting rough sleepers off the streets, have to pay the increased national insurance charges. I personally find that disgraceful and immoral.
"It is likely that there will be no specific money next year to deal with rough sleeping - that is our working assumption as a council. Because the government labels them as non-priority homeless - again immoral."
Between July 2023 and June 2024, 302 individuals accessed rough sleeping services in Portsmouth, with 155 moving on to more productive lives.
Cllr Steve Pitt, leader of the council, acknowledged that while the funding “seems large,” the cost of not supporting rough sleepers would be even greater, factoring in the strain on services like mental health care, adult social care, and medical treatment.
Cllr Nick Dorrington shared his personal experience with homelessness in his early years and the support he received from public services. He stated that he now pays more tax in a week “than what the government put into me in the first place”.
The government will announce new homelessness funding for local councils this year. The funding will combine different sources, including rough sleeping services and the Homeless Prevention Grant, into one lump sum.
Details are yet to be confirmed but the government has advised that councils need to "reduce demand for rough sleeping services, focus on those with most complex needs and least likely to access services, and establish a sustainable approach to community integration that prevents returns to rough sleeping and homelessness".