- 10/06/2020
- Posted by: Lesley Griffiths MS
- Category: News
An additional £20 million of Welsh Government funding will help ensure no one in emergency shelter during the coronavirus crisis returns to the streets or unsuitable accommodation.
Local Member of the Senedd, Lesley Griffiths, has praised the Welsh Government’s ambitious goal and is pleased people in Wrexham are benefiting from the funding.
In March, an additional £10 million was provided to councils to help ensure people were sheltered and supported during the pandemic. Many of these people were previously forced to sleep on the streets or were the ‘hidden homeless’ living precariously as ‘sofa-surfers’ or in unsuitable accommodation.
Latest figures suggest more than 800 people across Wales have been provided emergency accommodation and support since the lockdown began.
The Welsh Government wants to build on the initial success and the £20 million funding will help local authorities implement longer-term strategies, providing support for the people in temporary accommodation, as well as those facing homelessness in the future.
Lesley Griffiths MS wrote to Wrexham Council to discover how the funding had impacted local services. In a two month period between the end of March and end of May, 120 individuals in Wrexham have been placed in temporary accommodation.
She said: “The Welsh Government and all its partners deserve a great deal of praise for their timely yet ambitious response to this crisis. There is an opportunity to work creatively and collaboratively to make a long-term difference to people’s lives.”
“To capitalise on the good work so far, the Welsh Labour Government has provided an additional £20 million to help ensure people are not forced back onto the streets. After benefiting from the first phase of funding, I trust the Local Authority will work to make sure this latest announcement will have a positive impact on services in Wrexham.”
“Preventing and ending homelessness in all its forms is a key priority for the Welsh Government and significant steps are being made towards achieving this goal.”
