East Midlands councils to work together to strengthen support for homelessness

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has announced a new joined-up approach to support local authorities in the region to tackle homelessness and rough-sleeping. Backed by £100,000 of government funding, the initiative will create a clearer pathway to transform services for people in need. 

The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant initiative builds on progress already happening in Nottinghamshire and aims to bring a consistent and effective strategy across the East Midlands — from busy cities to smaller towns and rural communities. By strengthening services and improving coordination, EMCCA wants to ensure that people experiencing or at risk of homelessness receive better, faster, and more consistent support. 

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “Homelessness is a challenge shared by all our communities, and those communities want regional government to support local government in overcoming it. This investment will help us to bring services together, share data and best practice, and design a more inclusive and effective system across the East Midlands. By listening to people with lived experience and working in true partnership, we can build a future where everyone has a safe place to call home.”  

As part of the project, a full review will look at how people currently access help, what services are available, and where there are gaps or overlaps to form a “blueprint” for a single, integrated homelessness pathway. This will include clear recommendations, a plan for future services, and a practical roadmap for change. 

The project will also explore how different organisations — such as councils, health services, social care, justice, and charities — can share information more effectively. At present, each service often collects and stores information separately. By creating a secure and region-wide framework for data sharing, the East Midlands can reduce duplication, track support more easily, and improve outcomes for people in need. 

Oversight will be provided by a steering group made up of representatives from councils, health, justice, safeguarding, and the voluntary sector. Importantly, people with lived experience of homelessness will play a central role in shaping the work and guiding decisions, supported by training on leadership, co-design, and long-term system change. 

The new funding for EMCCA is timely as the Museum of Homelessness this week announced that people who died while homeless reached a record high in 2024. 

 Homelessness Minister, Alison McGovern said: “You can’t have a decent life without a decent home. Whether it’s rough sleeping or sofa surfing or, at its worst, children stuck in B&Bs, homelessness in the UK has been too high for too long. This has to stop. Through our Plan for Change, the UK will build homes and get help to those who need it to put a roof over their head.” 

The project will run from November 2025, and its findings will help provide practical tools to deliver a more coordinated, preventative, and person-centred response to homelessness across the East Midlands.