THURROCK Council will receive £1,941 million of government funding to prevent homelessness and tackle rough sleeping in the coming financial year, representing an uplift of 39% in the previous budget.
The additional funding for 2025/26 is part of Labour’s plan to turn the tide on homelessness, with £1 billion of new funding next year for councils – the largest ever investment in homelessness prevention services.
The funding allocated to Thurrock, part of the Homelessness Prevention Grant, will be ringfenced to ensure it is focused on preventing homelessness, as well as funding the provision of temporary accommodation for rough sleepers.
In Thurrock, where homelessness has risen by over a fifth in the last year, the funding will support the council to provide essential services and get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing.
Welcoming the huge boost for Thurrock, Labour’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, Cllr Mark Hooper, said;
“The level of homelessness in Thurrock – and across our country – is a disgrace, and it high time we had a government determined to stamp it out.
Here in Thurrock, we have seen homelessness rise by over a fifth in the last year and, nationally, we have 123,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including almost 160,000 children.
“This funding will help Thurrock council support families at risk of homelessness and give us extra resources to prevent rough sleeping too.
“On top of this, I am pleased Labour is banning no fault evictions, putting £500m in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme – helping deliver 5,000 new social homes – and allowing councils to keep 100% of receipts from all Right to Buy sales, enabling us to build more social housing for Thurrock families.
“Everyone understands turning Thurrock around will take time – but announcements like today’s are a clear sign that the work of change has well and truly begun.”
Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, said:
“Existing support services are failing to grip the crisis of rough sleeping, with spiralling homelessness across the country and a sharp rise in levels in Thurrock.
“This funding from the Labour Government is a much-needed boost for our area. It is an opportunity for the council to provide extra resources to prevent rough sleeping, supporting families at risk and turning the tide on rising homelessness.
“The additional investment will be used to tackle the root causes of homelessness and deliver essential services to those who find themselves on the streets. By providing direct help to those in need in our community, we can break the cycle of homelessness and give rough sleepers a chance to turn their lives around.”
