New funding for Stay Safe Hub for women adds to Leeds Street Support efforts

Leeds has successfully bid for funding to establish a stay safe hub for women with five emergency beds. The funding request has been approved by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and should mean around £120k will be available to provide the new resource.

Councillor Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council Executive Member for Communities said:

“We welcome news that our funding application for a Stay Safe Hub for women has been successful. It will enable us to provide five additional emergency access beds for females and develop this facility in Leeds.

“It complements our street support work to help rough sleepers, and those at risk of rough sleeping, access the support and settled housing they need to leave the streets for good.”

The bid led by Leeds City Council successfully secured funding from the government’s Rapid Rehousing Pathway, a key part of the approach to ensure those who sleep rough, or are at risk of rough sleeping, rapidly get the support they need, from the streets through to sustained accommodation.

Details of the scheme will now be confirmed and the council hopes to see the provision made available by the summer.

The hub will provide a safe environment away from the street. During a short stay clients will be fully assessed and have a personal plan designed to alleviate their housing situation and reduce the likelihood of them rough sleeping in the future.

In February the government announced that Leeds would be one of the 42 early adopters that will receive Rapid Rehousing Pathway funding.