• £1.9 million to establish Homelessness Task Force
• New partnership will accelerate delivery of prevention, better use of data and evidence, and testing of new approaches
• Task Force will be chaired by Cllr Graham Morgan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration
• Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Through devolution, we’ve been given the tools, and the trust, to do things differently.”

A new Homelessness Task Force is to be created in the Liverpool City Region to accelerate action to prevent and reduce homelessness.

Earlier this year, the government awarded the Combined Authority an additional £8.35m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping as part of its new three-year funding settlement from government.

The Outreach team engage with rough sleepers in both urban and more rural settings in the city region.

The funding is in addition to the £10.28m initially announced as part of the city region’s Integrated Settlement.

If approved at the Combined Authority meeting on 17 July, £1.9m will be allocated to the Task Force which will launch in the Autumn, bringing together local authorities, health, criminal justice and delivery partners behind a shared programme of action.

Funding has also been allocated to continue the Combined Authority’s Housing First programme and extend delivery of Assertive Outreach services for the next three years, with professionals actively seeking out homeless people on the streets and in hostels to provide support.

A commitment in the Mayor’s 2024 manifesto, the Task Force will bring together experts from across sectors to take a more joined up approach to preventing homelessness.

The Task Force will aim to significantly reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Liverpool City Region by finding ways to shift the focus from crisis response to proactive prevention and long-term impact.

Creating the Task Force will ensure clear and effective leadership and unify the city region’s voice in lobbying relevant government departments for the support and changes needed.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, said:

“A safe, secure home is the foundation for everything else in life – your health, your education, your job and your future. I believe everyone deserves that security. But for too many people across our region, that’s sadly not the reality.

“Through devolution, we’ve been given the tools, and the trust, to do things differently. Through Housing First, more than 300 people in our region now have a place to call home, with more than 70% sustaining their tenancies. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved – but I know there’s more work to do.

“We’ve always been a region that looks after our own. We’re the first to put an arm around someone in their moment of need, and I don’t believe anyone wants to see people forced to sleep rough or without a place to call home. That’s why I’m launching this Task Force – to tackle the root causes of homelessness and give more people the security and support they need to build a better future.

“For too long, too many people have only received support once they’ve reached crisis point. But we shouldn’t wait for someone to fall before we reach out a helping hand – we want to be there to steady them while they’re still on their feet.”

Liverpool City Region Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Cllr Graham Morgan, said:

“Everyone deserves a safe, secure place to call home. This new Task Force will bring partners together from across the City Region to tackle the root causes of homelessness, strengthen prevention and ensure support reaches people before they reach crisis point.

“By working together, we can create lasting change and help more people build brighter, more stable futures. Homelessness is not inevitable and we should not accept it as a fact of life.”

Work to identify the role and programme of activity of the Task Force has been supported by the Centre for Homelessness Impact through its Accelerator programme.

Dr. Lígia Teixeira, Chief Executive Officer for the Centre for Homelessness Impact said

“Across the UK, we know that ending homelessness depends less on knowing what works than on putting what works into practice at scale.

“The Liverpool City Region is creating the conditions to do exactly that – bringing partners together around shared leadership, better use of data and evidence, and a commitment to test, learn and improve together. That’s what turns ambition into delivery, and delivery into lasting change.”

The proposed Task Force will be chaired by Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration Cllr Graham Morgan with membership including senior officers from the city region’s six local authorities, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Integrated Care Board, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Combined Authority.

The Combined Authority, MHCLG and the six local authorities will work together to improve supported housing and reduce demands on bedspaces and improve pathways into supported housing.

There will also be support for the regional Accommodation for Ex-Offenders service, and Local Authority Housing Options officer roles to help lower demand for supported housing. The current Integrated Care Board specialist housing roles will also be supported over the next three years.

And £4.7m will be passported to Liverpool City Council over the next three years for various services aimed at reducing demand on supported housing.