BCP Council has been awarded a £2.4 million government grant to assist rough sleepers within the conurbation.

The money is part of the government's Rough Sleeping Initiative to end rough sleeping across England.

Councillor Robert Lawton, portfolio holder for housing at BCP Council, welcomed the £2,463,893 grant.

The council says that since March 2000, along with its partners, it has helped support more than 450 people who were sleeping rough or at risk of ending up on the streets.

In November 2019 the official street count figure for people sleeping rough in the BCP area was 72.

The latest figure taken in March 2021, was 21.

Cllr Lawton said the latest funding would "help us to continue and build on the huge efforts that are taking place to help people who’ve been rough sleeping, as well as ensuring we are doing all we can to prevent people from becoming homeless in the future."

It will be used to expand the council's Housing First scheme, which is intended to provide the most vulnerable people who have been sleeping rough with their own accommodation.

Cllr Lawton said: "We are fully committed to ending homelessness across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

"We have seen a significant reduction in the numbers of people sleeping rough since 2019 thanks to the hard work of the council and its partners.

"However, we must not be complacent.

"We know that nationally we will continue to see the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our communities and so it’s important that we are able to continue our focus on intervention and prevention measures to help the most vulnerable people in our towns."

The funding will also help with services such as dedicated mental health and drug and alcohol dependency support.

A BCP Council spokesman said it would also help with supported lettings, to assist people to maintain their own tenancies and support them accessing the private rented sector.

The spokesman said: "It will allow for further integrating of the vital work being done by a range of partners in the sector as well as additional specialised interventions such as a prison liaison worker to help prevent homelessness upon release, a new Somewhere Safe To Stay service, providing interim accommodation and support to enable prompt movement off the streets and additional supported housing places."