THE LEADER of a Bromsgrove-based charity that helps the homeless has welcomed a £40 million national boost – announced by the town’s MP - aimed at preventing people ending up on the street.

And the Basement Project, which works with young people facing a life on the streets across North Worcestershire, is now looking into whether it might be able to claim some of the cash towards its schemes.

The centre recently started training for staff to mediate between young people, their parents and carers in a bid to stop relationships breaking down to the point that they leave home.

Prime Minister Theresa May joined Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid, who is also the Government's Communities Secretary, to unveil the new "homelessness prevention programme".

It promises £20 million nationwide for local authorities to pilot new initiatives to stem the tide of desperate people ending up on the streets by working with individuals and families before they reach crisis point.

A further £10 million is being ploughed in to support people at dire risk of sleeping rough because they are struggling to get by.

It will also provide help for new rough sleepers, such as helping them to access employment and education.

And another £10 million is pledged in "social impact bonds" to help long-term rough sleepers with the most complex needs.

Jackie Hooper, chief executive of the Basement Project, based in Hanover Street - which helps around 400 young people a year who are at risk of becoming homeless or are already sleeping rough or “sofa surfing” - welcomed the move.

She said: "Any funding to help homeless people is welcome - it's good to see they're looking at it and taking it seriously.

"Everything has been squeezed tighter than tight after the ring-fencing for funding for projects was stopped - so this announcement of new money is promising.

"We don't know yet how it might affect us but we will look into it to see if we might benefit from some of this money for the people we help."

Mr Javid called into the Basement project in July after one of its directors wrote a letter expressing concern about cuts nationally in funding for working with homeless people.

Now the Government has announced its fresh approach to tackling homelessness by focusing on the underlying issues which can lead to somebody losing their home.

Mr Javid said: “One person without a home is one too many, which is why we are launching this new £40 million programme to tackle homelessness and prevent it happening in the first place.

“It will fund different projects around the country, preventing people from losing their home in the first place and helping to ensure that rough sleepers have somewhere safe to stay.”