Housing secretary Robert Jenrick praised Newham’s efforts to address homelessness as the government announced £1.2million to support rough sleepers in the borough.
Mr Jenrick visited Caritas Anchor House in Canning Town yesterday (Tuesday, January 28) to see the work being done in Newham, which has the highest rate of homelessness in the country.
He also met with people who had experienced homelessness but are now being supported by the charity to rebuild their lives.
It coincided with the government announcing an extra £112million of funding from its rough sleeping initiative for councils to provide services for those living on the streets.
The £1,237,750 awarded to Newham will help Caritas Anchor House deliver its rough sleeper assessment hub, which provides first-stage accommodation through its 23 beds and specialist support to people already sleeping rough.
Caritas Anchor House supported 193 people last year through its core service which provides longer-term accommodation to people experiencing homelessness.
Mr Jenrick, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, said: "I've been tremendously impressed by what I've seen.
"Listening to some of the stories of the residents, they all essentially said that without Caritas Anchor House they would still be sleeping rough on the streets, and many said that it effectively saved their lives."
The hub was launched in December 2018 and supported 68 people who had been sleeping on the streets in its first year.
Caritas Anchor House supported a further 193 people in 2019 through its core service, which provides longer-term accommodation to people experiencing homelessness.
Chief executive Amanda Dubarry said: "We were pleased to welcome the housing secretary to Caritas Anchor House so he could see first-hand the work we do to support people who are homeless in Newham.
"The funding will allow us to continue to support people sleeping rough into secure accommodation with access to specialist support."
The government says this funding round of the rough sleeping programme will provide up to 6,000 new bed spaces and 2,500 support staff across the country.
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