January 29, 2020 2.24 pm This story is over 50 months old

Lincoln gets extra £1m to tackle rough sleeping as numbers soar

The number of homeless people in the East Midlands has risen sharply by 50% since 2016
| Photo: The Lincolnite

Lincoln will get £1 million more grant funding to help tackle rough sleeping as the number of homeless people in the city soars.

The City of Lincoln Council will use the money to keep its rough sleeping team going for another year.

It will allow the team, which was set up a year ago, to help rough sleepers leave the streets for safe and suitable accommodation.

So far, the team has housed 105 people, assisted 171 people with mental health issues and prevented 42 people from sleeping rough.

The additional money will help the team work more closely with the prison and hospital to prevent people from having nowhere to go.

It comes at a time when the number of homeless people in the East Midlands has risen sharply by 50% since 2016.

As previously reported, homeless charity Shelter claims that 26 people are currently sleeping rough in the city.

Shelter also reported that 93 people are homeless in Lincoln, including the 67 recorded as homeless by the City of Lincoln Council.

Donald Nannestad, City of Lincoln Council, said: “The council’s proven track record of responding and delivering on this scheme has been recognised by the government.

“The additional money will enable us to continue tackling the challenges we face in dealing with the issue of rough sleeping and to improve the care provided for those affected by it.”