Burnley Council has received more than £1.6m. to eradicate homelessness since 2021

Antony Higginbotham has called homelessness “unacceptable” after raising the issue in Parliament and fighting for extra funding to house those sleeping rough.

Burnley Council has received more than £1.6m. since 2021, including £134,800 to provide two more properties to support people living on the streets.

“Everybody deserves a roof over their head. It is why, since I was elected, I’ve not only been pushing for funding in this area to get people off the streets but also reaching out to those who have found themselves in this situation to make sure they are housed that very night.

“A lot of this involves working with Burnley Council, and I’ve played my part in securing the finances they need to deliver [these services]. As the Government has confirmed to me this week, since 2021 that’s been around £1.6m. of funds through the Rough Sleeping Initiative.

“I simply won’t accept that in this day and age anybody should be on the streets. And so, if you know of anybody that is, then please be in touch with my office and I’ll do everything I can to get them the support they need.”

Seven people sleep rough on a single night in Burnley – up from four in the previous yea, Government data reveals.

The data came after numerous homelessness charities like Emmaus called on the Chancellor to address the financial situation facing homelessness services.

Felicity Buchan MP, the Minister for Housing and Communities, confirmed that Burnley Council has received £1,080,784 through the Homelessness Prevention Grant, and £650,497 through the Rough Sleeping Initiative since 2021.