Decision details

To accept Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding from the Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) of £36,035 for 2024/25.
On 20th January 2025, MHCLG notified Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) that it had
allocated £36,035 funding to CBC with the objective of providing support to prevent and resolve
rough sleeping in our communities.
This funding will also increase our impact in supporting vulnerable people sleeping rough, or
those at risk of sleeping rough in our area, over the winter months to prevent deaths this winter.
This will include a focus on long term rough sleepers and veterans, care leavers and victims of
domestic abuse at risk of or currently rough sleeping.
Interventions are not exhaustive and can include the provision of off the street accommodation.
We have since clarified with our MHCLG advisor that this can include the provision of
emergency accommodation.
This winter, CBC, in partnership with districts across Gloucestershire, has continued a pilot for a
second year to provide alternative emergency accommodation during times of severe weather
for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping (i.e when our Severe Weather Emergency
Protocol or SWEP is triggered). This initiative is being coordinated by CCP (Caring for
Communities and People) and is county-wide provision, though it is anticipated that Cheltenham
will be the main beneficiary, given that CCP's accommodation and support is located within
Cheltenham.
The estimated costs of this initiative are between £15,000 to £20,000 (for CBC); however actual
costs will be dependent upon the number of nights of severe weather that might occur up to
31st March 2025 (i.e. up to the end of the period when our Severe Weather Protocol is
potentially operational).
In the event that there is any residual funding after taking account of the above initiative, this
can be used to go towards other emergency accommodation or associated costs costs incurred
during the winter months, where this supports rough sleepers or those at risk of rough sleeping.
It is therefore anticipated that 100% of this funding allocation will be committed for spend by end
of March 2025. However, in the even that there is an underspend, this will need to be returned
to MHCLG.

The funding will support the Council in helping to meet objectives to reduce rough sleeping in
line with the priorities of the Council's `Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
2023-28.

None considered. This is an opportunity to accept an award of funding which is a one-off grant
to be committed for spend by 31st March 2025 and is un-ringfenced.

MHCLG have agreed that this funding can be used to support our emergency accommodation
pressures, and the proposal for using the funding for the purposes set out above is supported
by our Cabinet Member for Housing and Cheltenham Borough Council Housing Options Team.
For additional information please contact: Martin Stacy, Housing Strategy and Partnerships
Manager Email: martin.stacycheltenham.gov.uk