The cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy, launched today, includes plans to create specialist personal advisers to provide intensive support to care leavers at greatest risk of homelessness.
Specialist personal advisers will be established in the 47 councils in England with the highest rates of rough sleeping among care leavers thanks to a grant of £3.2m.
The strategy highlights that around 10 per cent of rough sleepers in London were once in local authority care.
Since April, local authorities have been required to provide personal adviser support to care leavers up to the age of 25 should they need it, and publish information about the support on offer to this group.
In February, the government also announced plans for three social impact bonds (SIB) to develop more accommodation options for care leavers as part of the Care Leaver Covenant.
Natasha Finlayson, chief executive of care leaver charity Become, said the strategy is a "step in the right direction", but fails to address other key issues.
She said: "We won't make significant inroads until we offer all care leavers appropriate support to make sure they are prepared for independent living, particularly around managing their finances and tenancies."
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The strategy also includes plans to create the Young Futures Fund SIB, which will be aimed at young people aged 18 to 24 not in education, employment or training at risk of homelessness.
The SIB will be administered jointly by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and funded through the £135m collected from dormant bank accounts earmarked for social investment.
The increased homelessness risk that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people experience is also recognised in the strategy. The document cites research that has shown seven per cent of young people sleeping rough identified as LGBT.
The government is to undertake research on the issue and has committed to taking further "concrete steps" to address it when the strategy is reviewed next year.
Other measures in the strategy - which aims to end rough sleeping by 2027 - include £30m of funding to support the mental health needs of rough sleepers; £50m to develop new "moving on" housing options for vulnerable groups in bed and breakfast and hostel accommodation; and creating specialist accommodation and funding "navigators" to help people access support.
Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said: "It is simply unacceptable that people have to sleep on the streets and I am determined to make it a thing of the past.
"Whether people are at risk of rough sleeping, already on the streets or in need of settled accommodation, we have a solid plan to help the most vulnerable in our society.
"This is not just about putting a roof over their heads, but helping them find a place to call home.
"These vulnerable people need our support and, through our expert-backed strategy, I am confident they will get it."
