Central government is providing £3,610,000 to councils in Gloucestershire for new safe, long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people.

In total, projects across England will receive more than £150million to deliver more than 3,300 such homes by the end of March 2021, providing long-term accommodation to vulnerable people to keep them safe from coronavirus and rebuild their lives.

The three councils selected - Gloucestershire County Council (£2.7million), Forest of Dean District Council (£710,000) and Stroud District Council (£200,000) - will oversee schemes that provide secure 'move on' style accommodation for people at risk of sleeping on the streets.

The funding is part of the government's pledge to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers and builds on the 'Everyone In' campaign launched at the start of the pandemic which has helped to support more than 29,000 vulnerable people, enabling councils to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.

In total, 276 schemes have been approved across England, which will deliver 904 new homes for rough sleepers in London and 2,430 elsewhere across the country.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: "Our 'Everyone In' plan is widely considered the most effective action taken by any country in the world to protect those sleeping rough from the pandemic.

"And that work hasn't stopped - 29,000 rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been supported into safe accommodation since the start of Covid-19.

"The next step in our mission is to ensure they have a more settled home.

"This is why we are providing over £150million, as part of the biggest ever investment in homes for the homeless, to deliver over 3,000 new long-term homes across England, giving them the stability and security they need to start to rebuild their lives."