Rough sleepers in Portsmouth to benefit from 'long-lasting' £680,000 support

Portsmouth City Council has been awarded £682,000 by the government to help the homeless to recover from drug and alcohol misuse and rebuild their lives.

The grant, which will be allocated over 15 months to March 2022, will help pay for a team of specialists focusing on providing drug and alcohol treatment, and will provide psychological support to overcome trauma, such as previous child abuse.

It will also improve co-ordination with housing services and benefits, taking a more joined-up, supportive approach and cover treatment costs, such as prescription methadone, therapy groups, inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation.

Councillor Matthew Winnington, the council's health and wellbeing boss, said: 'One of the main potential issues for those sleeping rough is the fall into a dependency on drugs or alcohol or both, and we know how much harder it is then to get out of being homeless - almost impossible without help.

'That help is now going to be strengthened considerably with this much-needed funding which will be provided and used at the point of need, offering the right help to allow people to make real and long-lasting changes to their lives.'

The grant is the sixth biggest allocation of the substance misuse fund given to any council in England.

It comes after the council was given £4.6m to pay for accommodation for rough sleepers and to help keep them off the streets over the next three years.

The council's housing and preventing homelessness cabinet member, Cllr Darren Sanders, added: 'This is yet another vote of confidence in Portsmouth's plans to end rough sleeping for good. It will go a long way towards dealing with the many complex needs we know rough sleepers have.

'It backs up our commitment that we will not only give those rough sleepers who want it a roof, but the support they need to lead the lives they want.'

As reported the council is set to buy three former student blocks in the city to be used as temporary accommodation for rough sleepers or those at risk of being homeless.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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