£900,000 boost to help homeless in London

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced a £900,000 funding boost to help hundreds of the capital’s homeless gain essential skills and get back to work.

The Homeless to Work programme, funded by the Mayor through the London Development Agency (LDA), will see outreach teams working directly with homeless in London offering them opportunities to gain skills and training.

The scheme will also target individuals with a history of rough sleeping to rebuild their lives off the streets.

Working with the Mayor’s London Delivery Board, set up to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2012, it is hoped that the programme will help up to 600 homeless people get back to work and find a home.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

“A skilled work force is the backbone of London’s economic success and the key to our competitive edge. In these tough economic times it is absolutely essential that we maintain this valuable commodity and ensure that everyone, especially those who are all too often considered ‘unemployable’, can gain the skills they need to get a job.

“Losing your home does not mean losing your talent or ambition and this new project will play a hugely important part in helping hundreds of London’s homeless get back on track and get back to work. ”

The LDA Homeless to Work Programme complements the work of the Department of Works and Pension to get drug addicts, ex-offenders and homeless back to work. The £900,000 of funding has been specifically ring-fenced to provide a bespoke service for the capital’s homeless and will be the only part of the programme to use outreach workers to directly target those in need.