Somerset secures £5.87m funding to tackle rough sleeping

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 06:03 · Archive

Somerset Council has secured £5.87m to address rough sleeping over the next three years.

Somerset Council has secured £5.87m through the government's Rough Sleeping Programme to address rough sleeping and support vulnerable people. The funding will be distributed over three years starting in 2026, with £1m allocated for 2026/27, £2.26m for 2027/28, and £2.61m for 2028/29.

The scheme aims to give everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets and create longer-term homes and support for people facing barriers to leaving rough sleeping. The funding will support both new and expanded services, including female-only accommodation and support, and higher-support accommodation to work with people with complex needs.

Cllr Sarah Wakefield, Somerset Council's lead member for adults services, housing and homelessness, said the allocation recognised the significant challenge rough sleeping presents in Somerset, where it is 'particularly acute' compared to similarly rural counties. She added that making positive change requires sustained and reliable long-term work by the council carried out with health and care partners, and that people sleeping rough need to be able to trust and rely on what is offered to them.

How it is being reported

• Somerset receives £5.87m funding to address rough sleepingSomerset Council has secured £5.87m to tackle rough sleeping, funding housing and support services over the next three years.Bridgwater Mercury · 15 Oct, 05:00
• Rough sleeping support in Somerset receives £5.87m fundingSomerset Council has secured £5.87m to tackle rough sleeping, funding housing and support services over the next three years.Somerset County Gazette · 15 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Somerset Council · Somerset · Sarah Wakefield

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