Purpose

A report was taken to Homes and Housing
delivery Committee on the 31 October 2025 and approved to accept
and spend Bristol’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant
award 2026-29 and additional awards made in 2025-26 for the
Homelessness Prevention Grant (to support children experiencing
Homelessness) and the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant
for homelessness and rough sleeping services. In addition, approval
was given to give delegated authority to the Executive Director of
Housing in consultation with the Chair of the Homes and Housing
Delivery Committee to accept any funding award over the level
anticipated award level and to bid for and accept any additional
capital and revenue allocations made through the Supported Housing
Accommodation Programme.
A number of funding streams will be rolled into one grant award
from 2026-29. The new funding formula will align general prevention
of homelessness with prevention and relief of rough sleeping. The
government is seeking to encourage local authorities to change
approaches and practice which includes improving the experiences of
families and children in Temporary Accommodation, preventing
homelessness and reducing long-term rough sleeping. Details of how
Bristol City Council will spend the funding to achieve these aims
is set out in the Committee paper.
This is deemed to be a published officer decision as key Decisions
have been delegated to the Executive Director and is deemed to be
of high interest to public/councillors.
A separate ODN for £296,177 to fund 2 outreach workers to
engage with and support people living in vans linked to this
Committee report was agreed on the 25th July to release funding
early to allow for recruitment of the additional staff. This has
been deleted from the total funding amount of £36,201,070 set
out in the Committee report.

Content

To accept and spend Bristol’s
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant award 2026-29 and additional
awards made in 2025-26 for the Homelessness Prevention Grant (to
support children experiencing Homelessness) and the Rough Sleeping
Prevention and Recovery Grant for homelessness and rough sleeping
services.

Alternative options considered

No alternative options were considered. This
grant funding from the government is essential for BCC to undertake
Homelessness duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and
to prevent and reduce rough sleeping against a backdrop of
increasing homelessness in the city.