Council buys 30 new homes for rough sleepers in Milton Keynes

MK Council has bought 30 new homes for people previously sleeping rough in Milton Keynes.

A successful bid for national funding was made to pay for the properties.

The homes have been allocated to people who were previously rough sleeping and had been given temporary accommodation by the council during the Covid-19 pandemic.

MK Council invested over £3.5m into the scheme, with the rest being funded by central government following a council bid earlier this year.

Cabinet Member for adults, housing and healthy communities, Cllr Emily Darlington, said: “These homes are about much more than just providing a roof over someone’s head. It will give people a chance to restart their lives in the security of their own homes. We’ll continue working with them so they don’t face with another night on the streets and help deal with the underlying issues that led to being on the streets in the first place.

“My thanks go out to the council team and our partners that moved quickly to secure these homes and support for those that desperately needed them.”.

You can watch a video of Cllr Darlington visiting one of the rough sleepers in their new home here.

MK Council has offered everyone sleeping rough in MK somewhere safe to stay during the pandemic. Working with partners, the council says it is is still actively encouraging people to take up offers of accommodation.

"We will never give up on a vulnerable rough sleeper, even if they do not accept support at first," said a spokesman.