HOMELESS problems in Southend and Basildon could be eased with the help of an almost £1million grant.

Homelessness has become a major issue on the streets and town centres across the county with a growing number of people left sleeping rough with nowhere to go.

While the grant will not solve the problem it is hoped it will help.

Southend Council will receive £425,000, out of the £925,183.

Basildon and Colchester Council received the remainder of the grant – £307,500 and £192,683 respectively – from the Government’s rough sleeping initiative fund following successful bids.

Councillors and groups supporting homeless people are pleased to see the funding boost.

Mark Flewitt, Southend councillor for public protection said the money should and will make a difference.

He said: “This is a substantial amount of money and the council has done well to secure this funding.

“I think it is enough for the council to do enough work with.

“With this money we will be reaching out to homeless people to offer them help and also looking to work with companies.

“The cost of keeping people in care is very high and this money is a drop in the ocean towards that but it will help us deal with homelessness.

“It is never too little money or too late to act.”

He also claimed Southend had suffered from other councils trying to move their problem on to the coast.

He said: “We are getting homeless people sent to us and that is unacceptable.”

Del Thomas, 36, a street pastor from Southend, said he would like money for his project to help homeless people.

He said: “I think it is really good that Southend Council has worked so hard on the issue.

“I understand the money will be used for various schemes to help homeless people including a co-ordinator who will working directly with homeless people.

“The money will also help to extend shelter hours to include weekends.

“I am chairman of a project called “Off the Streets” and we are working to get a permanent shelter for homeless people.

“We need to raise about £9,000 in three weeks to get the project going and off the ground.”

Andrew Barnes, chairman of Basildon Council’s community committee welcomed the funding boost but said he thinks it will not solve the issue overnight.

He said: “Homelessness is a very corrosive and complex problem.

“In a time when funding for councils from Government is reducing, it’s good to see this money is being made available.

“I think it is defiantly an issues which needs to be highlighted.”

The total funding pot, announced by James Brokenshire MP, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, will be divvied up across 83 UK authorities and James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, welcomed the helpful approach by the Government.

The initiative will help fund more outreach workers to engage with people on the streets, specialist mental health and substance misuse workers, and dedicated co-ordinators.