Sadiq Khan announces £50m fund to house homeless as he backs The Independent's Christmas appeal

Sadiq Khan today backed our Christmas appeal as he announced a £50m fund to build accommodation to help homeless people.

The Mayor of London said Centrepoint’s planned Young and Homeless Helpline was “inspirational” and would be a “lifeline” to vulnerable young people in the capital.

His support came as he unveiled a fund to build about 1,000 homes in the capital for people getting support for homelessness – the very people who first ring the helpline.

The Independent is asking its readers to raise money to launch the first national advice and support helpline for people aged between 16 and 25 facing homelessness or already sleeping rough.

They will be able to get advice and support on housing and be linked to services to help them for wider issues joined to their homelessness, including, mental health, addiction and family breakdown.

More than 150,000 young people facing homelessness seek housing support each year – but up to a third are turned away with no help.

Mr Khan said the helpline would be vital to introduce them to services and to help prevent lives “going down a spiral which is often difficult to get out of”.

He said it was “beyond shameful” that “rough sleeping and homelessness are rising in one of the richest cities in the world” and welcomed how our appeal “challenged stigmas” and showed anyone could end up homeless.

Mr Khan said: “I have been inspired by The Independent’s campaign and the work it is doing round homelessness – I want to give it my whole hearted support.

“I’ve been inspired by some of the stories of people who have been turned around and who are finally able to fulfil their potential as a consequence of the work Centrepoint is doing.

“The great thing about the helpline is active signposting – it will prevent people from becoming homeless and rough sleeping in the first place. With a small amount of money we can save a vast amount of potential being wasted.”

He added: “London has always been a place that has attracted people to fulfil those dreams but we have to accept although we are one of the biggest, richest cities in the world, there are pockets of deprivation and people with complex issues who need help.

“It might be with mental health, they have issues with the breakup of their family, they may be alcohol dependent or they might be addicted to drugs. Unless they are given help early on you could see a life wasted often through no fault of the individual.

“What the telephone helpline will do is, if someone is vulnerable, or for whatever reason, they need help just pick up the phone, there’s expert advice there.

“There’s a lot got help out there and its often not being signposted. A dedicated helpline, to help young people and young Londoners access those services is a great thing. It’s brilliantly simplistic.”

The £50m fund announced by the Mayor can be accessed by housing providers to build accommodation for people needing to move on from hostels and refuges.

It will provide two-year tenancies to homeless people ready for independent living. It is part of the Mayor’s £3.15bn Affordable Homes Programme.

Mr Khan spoke during the visit to Church Army’s Marylebone Project, which offers 112 long and short-term beds to homeless women, and emergency shelter for women fleeing from domestic abuse, and a rough sleepers drop-in providing hot food and showers.

He met service users along with its patron, singer Ellie Goulding, who has previously backed our appeal, as the pair took a tour around the centre during a visit yesterday evening.