By Alexander Brock

Copyright birminghammail

Birmingham is set to receive a £1.4million cash boost to tackle homelessness this winter. Homelessness continues to be a critical issue in the city, with factors such as deprivation and the cost-of-living crisis playing a role in driving people onto the streets. Record levels of households are also in temporary accommodation across the country, including nearly 170,000 children. READ MORE: Birmingham bins strike has cost crisis-hit council at least £14m The government announced today, Friday, October 10, a new £84m cash boost nationwide to help prevent homelessness and support families this winter. Around £1.4million will be going to Labour-run Birmingham City Council and partly used to support its Indoors Campaign, which helps long-term rough sleepers find a safe place to stay. Children and families in temporary accommodation in Birmingham will also be prioritised – with the funding set to go towards helping families cover the essentials like food, school travel and laundry. Coun Nicky Brennan, Birmingham Council’s cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: “The Labour government is committed to ending homelessness and rough sleeping. “Through this additional funding we will be able to continue our work here in Birmingham to prevent homelessness, support children and families in temporary accommodation, and help rough sleepers to get a roof over their heads. “This funding will help us to build on the work of our Indoors Campaign, where we brought 20 organisations from across the city together to help long-term rough sleepers to find safe accommodation.” Labour’s Homelessness Minister, Alison McGovern MP, said: “Whether it’s rough sleeping or sofa surfing or, at its worst, children stuck in B&Bs, homelessness in the UK has been too high for too long. “This has to stop. Through our Plan for Change, the UK will build homes and get help to those who need it to put a roof over their head.” Matt Downie, the chief executive of Crisis, said he hoped today’s announcement marked “another step towards an ambitious homelessness strategy”. “This funding is very welcome, especially as winter approaches and with homelessness rising,” he said. “More people are likely to face the prospect of sleeping on cold streets and need support urgently. READ MORE: Birmingham Council ‘confident’ of tackling equal pay woes amid ‘insolvency risk’ “More parents will be working out how to help their children do homework from cramped and draughty temporary accommodation. “We know targeted support can make a big difference and help people take their first steps out of homelessness.” He added: “Alongside a concerted effort to build social housing at scale, and ensuring all parts of government make their contribution to ending homelessness, we can create a safer and more prosperous future for people and families across the country.” Birmingham City Council unveiled a major strategy to tackle homelessness last year, which set out its priorities up until 2029. It also warned there was a danger children were experiencing “several years of their childhood” in temporary accommodation. The strategy said the supply of affordable housing must be bolstered “to enable services to be more efficient and make homelessness a brief experience”. At a council meeting at the time, Coun Roger Harmer, leader of the Liberal Democrats group, said there was a “silver bullet” which would help solve the issue. “It’s very, very simple – you build more houses,” he said. “And if you don’t build more houses, however well you try to mitigate it, the problem will get worse. “Obviously that’s a national issue, we’ve got a new [Labour]government that has committed to build more houses – we will see whether they actually deliver on their promises.” Robert Alden, leader of the Conservatives at the council, said: “It’s good the council is refreshing this strategy but the strategy itself doesn’t solve homelessness. “That’s the issue – it’s about the delivery.”