We're receiving £1.9m over three years to spend on helping homeless people into housing.

The funding is the result of a successful bid to the Rough Sleeping Initiative, which provides local councils with long-term funding to support rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.

We're using some of the grant to lease accommodation, which people will stay in before moving on to permanent housing.

We have recently secured a six-bed house which has given immediate shelter to people who were living on the streets, including one man who had been sleeping in a tent for a year and had not wanted a roof over his head until now.

Two further two-bed properties will be sought to be leased next year, to expand our range and access to off-the-street accommodation which is currently in short supply.

We're also spending the money on specialist teams and officers to work directly with rough sleepers.

The Resettlement Team and the Tenancy Sustainment Service will continue to work together to ensure people are moved into accommodation and that they have the support they need to stay in their new home.

Between them, these teams conduct outreach, engage people sleeping rough, assist them into accommodation and then provide support to maintain it.

The funding announcement means that a Substance Misuse Worker can continue in post. A new Mental Health Nurse role will also be created and funded until the end of March 2024.

Two separate housing posts are being established; one will find suitable accommodation for rough sleepers while the other will support our wider strategic development around homelessness.

The funding will also allow us to work with the Probation Service to deliver a Prison Navigator to resettle people from prison back into the community.

Councillor Swithin Long, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Tourism and Housing, said: “Torbay is in a housing crisis with not enough homes to go around for everyone. We want to ensure everyone in Torbay has a roof over their heads, whatever their circumstances.

“We’re pleased we’ve been successful in our bid for this money, which is already being put to good use helping individuals access accommodation and the welfare support they need to get back on their feet.

“This funding is enabling us to pay for specialist teams who can work one-to-one with some of the most vulnerable people in our community, helping them to turn their lives around.

““That said, this is effectively emergency funding from the Government when what we need is long-term funding for more affordable housing in Torbay rather than sticking plasters in a crisis.”

Last week, we activated our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, which is triggered when temperatures drop below a certain level.

Once it’s activated, we immediately put in place additional accommodation to prevent harm and death to rough sleepers due to severe weather conditions.

SWEP was activated last Tuesday and will continue until at least this Friday – the longest it has been run at one time.

People have been temporarily housed in a church hall and hotel accommodation has been on standby should it be needed.

Members of the public worried about adults sleeping rough can report their location through StreetLink.

The details are then passed on to us so the Resettlement Team can visit the individual and support them.

People who find under 18s sleeping rough should report it to the police.