The UK government is intensifying efforts to combat homelessness and financial exclusion with a series of new initiatives. In Leeds, a government grant exceeding £1 million has been allocated to provide cold weather shelters and assist rough sleepers in finding safe accommodation. However, Becky Joyce, co-founder of the Homeless Street Angels, argues that the funding needs to be doubled to effectively address the city's growing homelessness crisis. "The numbers have tripled since last year," Joyce noted, emphasizing the need for more properties and comprehensive support services.

The funding will also support projects targeting substance misuse among the homeless, with Change Grow Live, a charity, set to recruit additional outreach workers. Despite these efforts, Joyce stresses the necessity for further aftercare support, particularly for those transitioning from prison to stable housing.

Meanwhile, the UK government has launched a pilot scheme to enhance financial inclusion by enabling homeless individuals to open bank accounts without a fixed address. This initiative, part of a broader financial inclusion strategy, involves partnerships with major banks like Lloyds and Barclays, and charities such as Shelter. The scheme aims to remove barriers to employment and housing by allowing homeless individuals to access banking services.

City Minister Lucy Rigby highlighted the strategy's potential to boost the economy by facilitating employment and financial independence for vulnerable groups. The plan also includes measures to help domestic abuse survivors repair damaged credit scores, with credit agencies like Experian reviewing ways to rescore victims' credit ratings.

The financial inclusion strategy is a response to the alarming statistic that over 11.5 million people in the UK have less than £100 in savings, underscoring the need for robust financial resilience programs.