A COUNCIL boss has warned that a new government initiative to end rough sleeping needs more money behind to make a difference.

Cllr Phil Riley, executive member for regeneration for Blackburn with Darwen Borough, said the £100million earmarked for the scheme (including support for mental health, addiction treatment, and housing) was ‘inadequate’.

The Rough Sleeping Strategy, announced by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire on Monday, will focus on preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place by offering a range of support.

It aims to end the blight of people sleeping on England’s streets by 2027 but includes no new government money and re-prioritises cash from other government budgets.

Cllr Riley is in charge of a drive started in October to reduce begging in Blackburn town centre which includes directing people for treatment for alcohol and drug addiction and finding those with homes accommodation.

Of 156 people contacted 23 declined to engage with council or charity support workers.

Of 21 identified as ‘persistent beggars’, 11 have now stopped approaching strangers for cash and five have been relocated to homes outside the borough.

More than 40 individuals have been found accommodation and more than 25 fast-tracked into addiction treatments.

Cllr Riley said: “This is welcome in that it acknowledges the scale of the problem but the amount of money is simply inadequate.

“As we have found you are dealing with people often with serious mental health or addiction issues and the consequences of family or personal breakdown, some of whom do not want to engage with us.”

Burnley Council leader Cllr Mark Townsend said: “It is good to know there is something there of homelessness in the borough gets worse.”