Month: May 2018

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, met with the head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission, Dr Nasr al-Hariri, today to discuss Syria’s future, and the UK’s role in helping to secure a stable, peaceful future for its people.

The Foreign Secretary said:

This visit was a significant opportunity for the UK to discuss with the Syrian opposition our shared efforts to bring this appalling human catastrophe to an end, and stop the suffering that the Syrian people have endured for over seven years.

The regime’s continuation of its brutal offensives, including its use of chemical weapons, and its refusal to engage in negotiations have underlined the challenge of reaching a political settlement. But we remain clear that only a political solution will create a stable, brighter future for the Syrian people. Nasr al-Hariri and the Syrian opposition have again expressed their willingness to engage in direct negotiations with the Syrian regime and Russia without preconditions.

The UK remains at the forefront of the humanitarian response: at the recent Brussels Conference we pledged to provide at least £450 million this year, and £300 million next year, taking the total UK humanitarian funding to £2.71 billion since 2011. This assistance will help to alleviate the extreme suffering in Syria and provide vital support in neighbouring countries.

Further information

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Three areas in England are set to launch new pilot projects to support rough sleepers with complex needs get off the streets into stable and affordable accommodation, Housing Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has announced today (9 May 2018).

The projects in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and the West Midlands Combined Authority will offer individuals intensive support to recover from complex health issues, for example substance abuse and mental health difficulties and sustain their tenancies.

The pilot projects will be based on Housing First, an internationally proven approach to supporting rough sleepers into long-term accommodation.

Funding for the government’s Housing First Pilots was announced at Autumn Budget.

Housing Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

The evidence shows Housing First has an incredible rate of success in providing rough sleepers with the support they need to get off the streets and to rebuild their lives.

We are investing over £1.2 billion to break the homelessness cycle, but we know there’s more to do to help people off the streets for good. This is why the government is leading the way in implementing Housing First in England.

I believe these pilots will have a positive impact in their areas and I look forward to hearing about their successes over the coming months.

Housing First is a tried and tested approach to tackling long-term rough sleeping that puts the emphasis on finding individuals a secure and affordable home to live in, while providing them with expert support to rebuild their lives.

In Europe, Housing First projects have been successful at ending homelessness for at least 8 out of 10 people in the scheme. This is compared to hostel-based accommodation which has resulted in between 40% and 60% of users with complex needs leaving, or ejected, before their homelessness is resolved.

The government is additionally working with the National Housing Federation to look at providing additional, coordinated move-on accommodation for rough sleepers.

Further information

A full breakdown of allocations for Housing First is as follows:

Distribution	£ million
Liverpool City Region	7.7
Greater Manchester	8.0
West Midlands	9.6
Total	25.30