Rough sleepers to be offered route off Portsmouth streets before Christmas under £3.1m plan
Portsmouth plans new homes and specialist support to prevent people returning to homelessness
Portsmouth has been awarded more than £3.1m in government funding to help tackle rough sleeping over the next three years.
The money will be used by Portsmouth City Council to provide emergency accommodation, develop new homes and offer specialist support to people who have been sleeping on the streets for long periods.
A report due to be discussed by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness on Wednesday (November 4), sets out how the council plans to spend the funding.
Portsmouth has been awarded £3,168,330 through the Government’s new Rough Sleeping Programme 2026-29. This includes £1.87m for running services and £1.29m for buying or developing properties.
The council says an average of 21 people slept rough on any given night during the autumn and winter seasons of 2024/25 and 2025/26. Around 37 per cent of rough sleepers in the city have met the national definition of long-term rough sleeping over the past three years.
The first priority will be to provide more emergency accommodation, with a target of offering everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets before Christmas.
The council has already secured extra space for overnight shelters in the central library and vacant office space owned by a commissioned provider.
However, the report warns that some people may continue sleeping rough despite the additional support.
It says: “For these individuals it remains unlikely that their rough sleeping will be resolved in an arbitrary timescale, even with the additional resources afforded by the Rough Sleeping Programme funding.”
The council also faces challenges finding suitable longer-term accommodation, particularly for people with complex needs who require specialist support.
From 2027/28, the funding will help the council acquire and develop a small number of properties, including self-contained homes and shared accommodation for small groups.
Specialist support will also be provided to help residents maintain their tenancies and avoid returning to the streets.
The report says the increased demand for move-on accommodation could put further pressure on Portsmouth’s wider housing system.
A further report setting out the council’s longer-term plans is expected early next year.