Support is needed to strengthen our collective voice and address the issue of homelessness among veterans.

In the UK, there's a critical situation where specialist housing for homeless veterans is at risk of collapsing. Progress has been made in reducing veterans' homelessness, but estimates show that between 100 and 400 veterans sleep rough each year, and 3,000 to 4,000 face homelessness in inadequate conditions. The provision of support is under threat due to the loss of government funding in recent years. This jeopardizes our ability to assist veterans with higher needs, mental health challenges, addiction, and disabilities. Without intervention, there's a significant risk of most supported housing services for veterans collapsing.

The Armed Forces Bill recognizes the duty to ensure veterans don't face disadvantages due to their service. specialised care, like the Op Courage service, has been launched to address mental health crises in veterans.

We're sounding the alarm about the real threat to supported housing and propose a solution. Just £2,781,985 annually could provide specialised supported housing for all veterans in need. We're urging the government to allocate £5,563,970 for at least two years, with a plan for sustainable long-term funding to maintain these vital services. Our aim is to prevent the collapse of these services and we call on the government to safeguard specialist supported housing for British veterans. This aligns with the government's commitment to ending rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.

Please show your support by signing the petition at the URL provided.

Riverside provides housing, care, support and floating housing services to help people lead independent, positive lives across the UK.