Shelter estimates there are about 54,000 people homeless in the south east

Oxford City Council is receiving one of the largest grants of £600,000 while Reading Borough Council is getting £250,000.

Portsmouth and Southampton councils are to get £340,000 each as part of the scheme.

The money will be used to help the councils keep people off the streets and to make sure families are no longer housed in B&Bs.

Councils to benefit Basingstoke and Deane £40,000 Bracknell Forest £17,000 Cherwell £75,000 New Forest £27,000 Oxford £600,000 Portsmouth £340,000 Reading £250,000 Slough £120,000 Southampton £340,000 South Oxfordshire £21,000 West Berkshire £21,000 West Oxfordshire £75,000 Winchester £20,000 Windsor and Maidenhead £16,000 Wokingham £29,000

Latest government figures show the number of homeless families with children living in B&B accommodation for more than six weeks in the south east has fallen from 240 in June to 220 in September.

Homeless charity Shelter estimates there are 54,000 homeless people in the south east.

According to social affairs experts, 25% of people sleeping rough are aged between 18 and 25.

Family conflict is the main cause of homelessness among at least two-thirds of homeless young people.