London Mayor Sadiq Khan announces LGBTQ+ homeless shelter funding
“The most recent figures for rough sleeping in London are deeply alarming,” Sadiq Khan stated.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has announced the capital will receive funding for homeless shelters for LGBTQ+ people.
Khan confirmed on Monday (10 July) an additional £20 million to be invested into helping homelessness in London.
£17.27 million will then be used for the No Second Night Out service which will help those who are homeless for the first time.
While £2.75 million will be allocated to other services, including LGBTQ+ shelters.
The exact details of this new shelter and service are expected to be announced soon.
Khan’s budget comes after a report on homelessness in England showcased a worrying rise in homeless numbers.
The report was conducted in November 2022. It saw a 26% increase when compared to 2021 in the number of people sleeping rough.
At the time, Rick Henderson, CEO at Homeless Link, said the shocking statistics represent “a massive, collective failure.”
The report also noted that nearly half (47%) of homeless people were in London and the South-East.
Carla Ecola, Co-Founde and Managing Director of The Outside Project, told Attitude: “This year’s funding is welcome renewed support.”
They noted their “unique by-and-for service would not be possible without the ongoing funding commitment from the Mayor of London since 2018.”
“The cost-of-living crisis is putting more and more Londoners at risk of losing their homes.”
Ecola clarified, however, that reports of a “new service” seem to conflate the homelessness and domestic abuse refuge projects. They noted these are two separate crisis housing projects, both funded by the Mayor’s Office.
Khan said “to end rough sleeping in the capital for good” is one of his “top priorities as Mayor”
“The most recent figures for rough sleeping in London are deeply alarming,” Khan also added.
“The cost-of-living crisis is putting more and more Londoners at risk of losing their homes. That’s why I’m delivering an additional £20 million in funding to expand my Life off the Streets Programme.”
Of the £20 million, £16.36 million is from the GLA’s Rough Sleeping Programme budget. £3.61 million is government funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC) Rough Sleeping Initiative funding. £0.05 million is from the DLUHC’s Controlling Migration Fund.