Close to £1 million has been awarded to help rough sleepers.

The council has been awarded £486,000 in addition to £410,000 earlier this year from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government.

That means a total of £896,000 will be available to help those who need permanent homes.

Statistics from Shelter in 2017 say 1059 people are homeless, meaning they may live in temporary accommodation, and there are 14 people who live on the street.

Funds will be directed to support women, couples and people who have recently come out of prison.

The council also plans to continuing it's work in the Homelessness Forum.

Cllr Howard Doe, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services, said: “We commission a range of support and accommodation all year round to help people with nowhere to live.

"The extra funding will help us increase housing provisions for rough sleepers.

“The funding complements the work that we already do with agencies in the Homelessness Forum and we will continue to work closely with partner agencies to ensure emergency accommodation is available for those that need it the most.

“We offer a range of specialist advice on the issues that can cause people to become homeless at Kingsley House in Gillingham and I would encourage anyone who is homeless, or is at risk of becoming homeless, to access the support available.”