Leeds City Council have been allocated £1,339,180.00 via the Next Steps programme https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/next-steps-accommodation-programme-guidance-and-proposal-templates
It’s not 100% clear what this means for people with NRPF in Leeds. Everyone who has needed somewhere to stay has been accommodated by LCC since mid-March 2020, and LCC officers have repeatedly expressed their aspiration to provide emergency accommodation to everyone who needs it during the Pandemic.
According to The Next Steps Guidance this funding may cover
“People whose access to statutory housing assistance and welfare is limited due to their immigration status, e.g. those with a No Recourse to Public Funds condition or EEA nationals not exercising a qualifying right, who require alternative assistance to resolve their homelessness including through reconnection or access to employment” (s28, p7)
and then at s34, p9 it states
“For some people a voluntary return to their country of origin may be the best outcome for them, especially if it means avoiding a return to the streets.
- Where an individual wants to return home, local authoritiescan seek funding tosupport them to do so –in some cases this could include providing ancillary accommodation and support in order to facilitate a return.
- Local authorities should support non-EEA nationals seeking to return home to contact the Home Office Voluntary Returns Service, who can offer practical support to return where appropriate:https://www.gov.uk/return-home-voluntarily.
- Revenue funding is available to cover the costs of voluntary returns for EEA nationals only.
This must be clearly filled on the proposal template.”
LCC have yet to make an official statement on how this money will be used, but we’ll keep you posted with what we know – as soon as wek know it.
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