HOMELESS people who were rehomed by councils in Dorset during the pandemic will be helped to stay in accommodation this year thanks to £2.5 million of government funding.

All councils in England were ordered in March by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to rehome any rough sleepers they knew of.

In total, £1.9m has been awarded to BCP Council.

Since the start of lockdown, the council, together with its partner St Mungo’s, has supported more than 300 people who were either rough sleeping or at risk of being on the streets, into emergency accommodation.

This successful bid for funding from the Government’s Next Steps initiative means the authority, with its partners, can keep "vulnerable people" in safe accommodation and move them into longer-term housing with access to support services.

Councillor Kieron Wilson, cabinet member for housing, said: “This latest funding announcement is fantastic news and it means that we can build on the great work that we have been doing to support vulnerable people off the streets during the pandemic.

"We don’t just want to provide an emergency roof over someone’s head short-term with the risk that they may end up back on the streets again once the pandemic is over. It’s important that we can take a holistic approach providing more long-term housing together with the right support services that someone might need to help them make that move off the streets for good. This funding will be vital in making this happen.”

Dorset Council has successfully secured a grant of £624,000.

Councillor Graham Carr-Jones, portfolio holder for housing, said: “Since well before Covid-19 we have been wrestling with the dilemma of insufficient property, and how we can keep people out of B&Bs and get them into settled accommodation.

“Although we are still awaiting formal notice of how the money is to be spent, this additional funding will help us to create accommodation to provide much-needed affordable housing for single people, who by and large, make up the majority of homeless households in the county."