The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, is set to direct councils across England to develop plans for accommodating homeless military veterans before Christmas, as part of efforts to ensure that former service personnel do not sleep rough.
Burnham will personally write to the councils on November 11, which marks Armistice Day, urging them to work with national government, local organisations and charities to secure accommodation and specialised support for veterans facing homelessness.
According to a statement published on the UK Home Office website on November 7, the Prime Minister will ask councils to utilise part of the government’s homelessness funding to formulate targeted interventions for former members of the armed forces.
The initiative also includes the allocation of £8.7m to eight organisations across the United Kingdom under the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme.
The funding is intended to provide housing, employment and healthcare assistance to veterans with complex needs, including addiction and other health challenges.
The beneficiaries include Veteran Housing Scotland, Launchpad, Alabare, The Riverside Group, Wigan Council, RBVE, SSAFA, The Armed Forces Charity, and Tom Harrison House.
Speaking on the initiative, Burnham said, “No one who has served our country should be left to sleep rough on our streets.
It is a simple principle and, from now on, I am setting it as an operating principle for the whole of government, national and local.”
He added, “People who stepped forward prepared to put their lives on the line for the rest of us should never lack a roof over their head.
“When they need help, the country owes them more than warm words. It owes them a bed every night, a proper plan and someone in their corner from day one.”
The Prime Minister noted that several councils were already collaborating with charities to support former military personnel, saying the new funding would help expand such initiatives and eliminate the need for veterans to sleep on the streets.
“Many councils are already doing a great job working with charities supporting the ex-forces community. With this new funding, they can take that to the next level and end the need for any veteran to sleep rough on any night,” he said.
Burnham also encouraged homeless veterans and those assisting them to contact a dedicated UK-wide helpline, 0800 9520774, for immediate access to accommodation and other specialised services.
The Home Office statement disclosed that the helpline had already facilitated housing support for more than 1,250 veterans.
The programme forms part of the Prime Minister’s broader commitment to ending rough sleeping across the country, supported by an additional £874m in funding, bringing the government’s total allocation for tackling homelessness to a record £4.4bn.
