FIVE East Lancashire boroughs will share a £232,808 government grant to keep convicted criminals from living on the streets and returning behind bars.

The cash will pay for two specialist officers to support ex-offenders find homes and provide cash to help them rent properties.

The award from the government's Accommodation for Ex-offenders Programme (AFEO) will cover Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle, and Rossendale boroughs.

It will pay for the continued employment of two support officers working within Calico’s Gateway Housing Project and the provision of incentive packages to assist access into the private rented sector

The programme is targeted at 'reducing repeat offending by accessing settled accommodation and providing support'.

The grant is revealed in a report to Burnley Council's executive later this month.

It says: "The grant aims to continue to provide support to ex-offenders to access and sustain their own accommodation with the aim of reduction re-offending in the future.

"The overall aim is to provide the right support and assistance to reduce re-offending and returns to prison.

"Since 2021 authorities in East Lancashire have worked together to secure accommodation for ex-offenders funding from the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities and have commissioned Calico Homes to deliver this.

"The AFEO was introduced to support homeless prison leavers to access the private rented sector and reduce the instances of rough sleeping and reoffending.

"To ensure East Lancashire councils continued to benefit from AFEO funding Burnley Council agreed to act as lead authority and submit a joint bid on behalf of Rossendale, Pendle, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.

"The bid was successful, and the councils have been awarded a total of £232,808. The funding runs up to March 31 2025.

"The proposal is to fund two AFEO support workers to provide assistance to ex-offenders to secure and settle into permanent housing in the private rented sector.

"The service operates out of Calico’s Gateway Housing Project and seeks to identify suitable housing and support for those individuals who are leaving prison or have served a prison sentence within the last 12 months.

"The project will employ two full-time officers at a cost of £137,500 over a two-year period to assist an estimated 80 ex-offenders.

"Additional funding of £95,308 has been awarded to provide incentive packages to private sector landlord to support clients into private rented accommodation.

"This package can include, bonds, rent in advance and starter packs for the clients."