Council successful with £3.4m funding for accommodation to help homeless people

Shropshire Council has been successful in its application for £3.4m of funding from the Government to help rough sleepers gain access to accommodation.   

The Single Homeless Accommodation Programme (SHAP) funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC), aims to address gaps in specialised supported accommodation for those with a long history of sleeping rough and with complex needs, by funding accommodation with high levels of support. 

Working in partnership with housing and support providers, the council will oversee the creation of 42 units of supported housing across three schemes for single people with a history of rough sleeping and longer-term support needs; as well as younger people aged 18-25 at risk of or experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping.  

People will stay in this accommodation and receive personalised support until they are ready to take the next step to independent living.   

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for housing and assets, said:- 

“We are fully committed to preventing homelessness and to tackling rough sleeping in Shropshire, and I am delighted that we have received this funding to help some of our most vulnerable residents. 

“Our rough sleepers team works intensively with people who are rough sleeping or have no other accommodation and try to find them more permanent accommodation. 

“Securing this £3.4 m funding for the county will help us create much-needed extra accommodation for those being helped off the streets who need significant long-term support before they are ready to live independently and rebuild their lives. 

“Not only will this benefit people to move on to more sustainable accommodation, it will also help to reduce the cost reliance on temporary accommodation in less suitable settings, and represents much better value for money for Shropshire and the public purse.” 

In August 2023 the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities, in conjunction with Homes England, announced funding available for councils to bid for, which would focus on increasing the supply of high-quality accommodation with accompanying support to address gaps in homelessness pathway provision.  

The Single Homeless Accommodation Programme (SHAP) funding is targeted at two groups:  

• Those with the longest histories of rough sleeping or the most complex needs, to help them recover from rough sleeping and its associated traumas
• Vulnerable young people (age 18-25) at risk of or experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping. The focus will be on longer-term accommodation.  

Given the likely support needs of these target groups, supported housing, Housing First and housing-led schemes will be within scope.  

Ultimately, the programme aims to help end rough sleeping, including through preventative action with young people who may be most at risk, and facilitating recovery, self-development and independent living within the target groups.  

To find out more about homelessness and rough sleeping in Shropshire visit: Housing options and homelessness | Shropshire Council  

Further information  

Shropshire Council worked with DLUHC and Homes England councils in framing the need for SHAP funding at a local strategic level. A co-produced Strategic Gap Analysis identifying gaps in local housing pathway provision relating to SHAP’s target groups formed a key element of the bid.  

Shropshire Council has been successful in being awarded funding in Round 1, Round 2 and Round 4 of the funding bids. In total we have successfully attained £3.4 million funding (a mixture of capital and revenue) across three schemes (which equate to 42 bedspaces).  

 The key principles of SHAP funding are:-

a) Targeted:  SHAP aims to address gaps in homelessness pathway provision by funding accommodation with high levels of support. Funding will be directed to areas where data suggests high levels of need for accommodation and support for SHAP’s target groups: 

• those with the longest histories of rough sleeping or the most complex needs (including those known to councils as the Target Priority Group), to help them recover from rough sleeping and its associated traumas
• vulnerable young people (age 18-25) who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping. 

It is expected that the focus will be on longer-term accommodation rather than short-term temporary accommodation. Supported and specialist housing, Housing First and housing-led schemes suitable for these groups are within scope of the programme. 

b) Place-based and co-produced: Local systems and communities are best placed to identify specific gaps and design local solutions. A council-led Strategic Gap Analysis will need to identify resources available across the local system and how SHAP will fill gaps in/enhance local strategy. DLUHC advisers and Homes England will support localities to develop high quality bids.  

c) Multi-disciplinary partnerships: To achieve the objectives of SHAP, local systems will need to collaborate to co-design the best local solutions to address entrenched patterns of rough sleeping and provide the right support for young people at risk. Depending on local circumstances this may include commissioners and service providers, Integrated Care Partnerships, public health, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE), and business sectors, who should work together to develop tailored and holistic support as appropriate across housing and homelessness, health, skills and employment, substance misuse, criminal justice, and domestic abuse. 

d) Design and innovation: SHAP will provide an extended period of co-production, supporting high quality and innovative bids that remain deliverable within the timescales of the programme and provide good value for money, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. This will include both the type of accommodation (which may include modular homes and modern methods of construction, modernising and reconfiguring former hostels, care homes, and listed buildings and social investment-backed property funds) and the linking of accommodation and support with healthcare, employment and skills programmes. Support services must be suitable for each individual in order to best support them in their recovery. 

e) Funding sustainability: Capital funding is available to fund completions of new homes up to 31 March 2025, along with up to three years of resident support (revenue) funding.