The extra £3m that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister pledged to councils last week will fund mediation schemes aimed at preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place.
Mediation services for families and couples with relationship problems, support for those facing domestic violence, rent deposit guarantee schemes and debt counselling will all benefit from the funding boost.

The 2002 Homelessness Act introduced more categories of priority need for housing, including 16- and 17-year-olds, care and prison leavers and people fleeing domestic violence.

Local Government Association programme manager Gwyneth Taylor said the Act was not about councils housing every person that presented themself as in priority need. "We have been particularly keen to pursue mediation with groups such as 16- to 17-year-olds," she explained.

"Mediation can help ascertain whether relations with the parents have broken down completely or if it was just a row."

The ODPM has already distributed £10m to help councils prevent homelessness.