Housing bosses to help rough sleepers
A Black Country housing association is hoping to change the lives of rough sleepers, as it launches two more housing first programmes.
Accord Housing Association will deliver the service in Sandwell, as well as Solihull, working closely with the councils to help 82 long-term rough sleepers get off the streets and into accommodation.
The service not only offers people a home, but it also provides support which is flexible to the needs of the individuals – including creating links to mental health and substance misuse support services where required, and help to register with a GP to improve overall health and wellbeing.
The two new contracts build on the success of Accord's existing housing first programme, which has been supporting rough sleepers in Walsall since November 2017.
Accord has secured around £2.2 million of funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) which will help support 170 rough sleepers across the three boroughs by 2021.
Chris Handy, chief executive at Accord said: “Housing First is a fantastic programme and working with Sandwell Council and Solihull Borough Council, Accord will now be able to support even more long-term rough sleepers across three West Midlands boroughs, helping people to get back on their feet and find suitable accommodation.
“Being able to support rough sleepers into independent tenancies is one of our key aims, and as we have already seen real progress in Walsall – I am confident that we can now make a real difference to people’s lives in Sandwell and Solihull.”
