On World Homeless Day, the government has announced a £84million cash injection to help councils support rough sleepers and children and families experiencing homelessness this winter.
Rough times: today’s government announcement has been broadly welcomed, but has Croydon missed out on the money it needs again?
And while London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London are set to receive £36.5million from that pot, Croydon’s share is less than £600,000.
The government money is to be used to help families living in temporary accommodation with essentials such as food, school travel and laundry.
There are a record number of households living in temporary accommodation across England, including nearly 170,000 children, figures which have only increased in the past year, since Labour entered government.
In the past week, the Museum of Homelessness revealed that 1,611 people died while homeless in this country in 2024.
Between them, London’s councils are reckoned to be spending £5.5million per day to fulfil their legal duties to provide accommodation for the homeless, one of the biggest pressures on budgets for cash-strapped authorities such as Croydon.
As part of its top-up grant, Croydon is to receive a total of £589,490 to support families and homelessness services.
Streatham and Croydon North MP Steve Reed, the housing secretary, described homelessness as “a moral stain on our society”.
‘Moral stain on our society’: housing minister Steve Reed
“Growing numbers of people have been abandoned to sleep rough on the streets and children left in squalid, overcrowded conditions,” said Reed.
“This government will not stand idly by and allow that to continue. We will make different choices. That’s why we are investing £1billion to give homeless people the security of a roof over their heads and get back on track to end homelessness for good.”
Croydon is one of 62 local authorities receiving money under the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. The total amount allocated under that grant is £70million.
Croydon is getting £244,081.
A further £11million is going to help families living in temporary accommodation with access to essential facilities such as Wi-Fi, food and leisure activities, laundry and travel passes for school and uniform costs to keep kids in school. The money is being allocated to areas with the highest numbers of children in temporary accommodation.
Croydon is getting £297,211.
Croydon is receiving £48,198.
There has been no statement from Croydon’s failed Mayor, Jason Perry, to welcome the extra money for homelessness, nor to lament why this borough appears to have been short-changed by central government. Again.
In its ministerial announcements today, the Labour government made it plain that much of the homelessness crisis has been created under the previous Conservative government – what they called “a crisis made over the past decade”, as they attempt to deal with the immediate consequences of Tory austerity.
The number of households with children living in B&Bs – considered the worst form of emergency accommodation – has fallen from 5,910 in June 2024 to 3,870 by March 2025.
‘Great news’: but Croydon’s share of that money is less than £600,000
Matt Downie, the chief executive of Crisis, the homelessness charity, said: “This funding is very welcome, especially as winter approaches and with homelessness rising. More people are likely to face the prospect of sleeping on cold streets and need support urgently. More parents will be working out how to help their children do homework from cramped and draughty temporary accommodation.
“We hope this announcement marks another step towards an ambitious homelessness strategy. Alongside a concerted effort to build social housing at scale, and ensuring all parts of government make their contribution to ending homelessness, we can create a safer and more prosperous future for people and families across the country.”
Dr Lisa Doyle, Centrepoint’s head of policy and public affairs, said the funding will help people in immediate crisis but echoed calls for longer-term thinking and a move towards prevention. “In England, we know one in three young people facing homeless aren’t even getting the assessment they are entitled to, let alone the support they may need from their local authorities,” said Dr Doyle.
“Funding like this will help those currently facing homelessness but we need to address the seemingly ever-increasing demand, too. To shift away from crisis and focus on prevention is not a quick fix – which makes the government’s long-awaited homelessness strategy all the more urgent.”
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