Rough sleepers at risk of drug and alcohol misuse will be able to access extra support in Oxford, after the Government announced £584,834 in additional funding as part of a wider plan to end rough sleeping for good by 2024.

Homeless people who are being provided with emergency accommodation during the pandemic as part of the Government’s ‘Everyone In’ programme, and people who are currently rough sleeping, will be eligible for the support.

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The funding, which comes from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will pay for them to access drug and alcohol treatment, including detox and rehabilitation support.

It will also allow them to access mental health and substance dependence workers who can help them get their life back on track.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to be in receipt of this grant which is to help provide substance misuse support to some of those people who were homeless and sleeping rough, and were given emergency accommodation under Covid-19 rules.

“The funding was allocated across 43 identified priority areas in England, with Oxford City being one of them.

"It will be used to offer specialist, intensive substance misuse and other services within Oxford City and we will be working closely in partnership with the City Council and our community provider, Turning Point on this.”

Oxford Conservatives deputy chairman Paul Sims said “This funding is hugely welcome. It will directly support the most vulnerable rough sleepers.

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"It means we can go further and do important work to tackle the cycle of alcohol and substance misuse that, sadly, is often an underlying factor in why people end up on the streets both in Oxford and other communities across the country."