Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, has written to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to request additional resources to support the tackling of homelessness in the city.
As local authorities around the country continue to battle with the ever-worsening homelessness crisis, many are finding themselves struggling to meet the costs associated with supporting those who are homeless, whilst continuing to provide key services. As outlined in Cllr Robinson’s letter to Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove, Liverpool is facing a rise in the demand for homelessness support, with this further stretching their financial and operational abilities.
CognitivePublishing · Liam Robinson Homelessness Letter Quote
Speaking to Public Sector Executive, Cllr Robinson said:
“What we’ve seen over the past three years is [that] we’ve gone from having spent a quarter of a million pounds a year on homelessness, to it being now almost £19 million because of the huge pressure of demand that we’re seeing.
“So, we wrote to Michael Gove to request additional resources to deal with that pressure.”
With the letter being published on Cllr Robinson’s own X.com account, it has been identified that the current Homeless Support grant of £1.7 million is not a reflection of the need and demand within Liverpool, and an increase in-year to the grant should be made available for the next two years.
The opportunity to meet with the Levelling Up and Housing Secretary was also raised in the letter, with this providing both parties the chance to discuss the request, as well as how vulnerable residents in the city can be supported.
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