Landlords offered incentives to make houses available to rough sleepers
Landlords across the Lichfield district could receive between three and six months’ rent in advance by putting their properties forward to help people who have nowhere else to go.
Lichfield District Council is working with Spring Housing Association to find accommodation and provide support for people who are sleeping rough or at risk of becoming homeless.
Together they are calling on landlords across Lichfield District to lease one or more of their houses or flats to Spring, so they can manage the property while supporting vulnerable members of the community.
The council says benefits include a guaranteed monthly income for the term of the lease, no fees to pay or lease documentation to fill out, regular property checks, full repairs management, and a return on investment while supporting the local community.
Councillor Angela Lax, Cabinet Member responsible for housing, said: “We are on a mission to make rough sleeping in the district a thing of the past and are working to buy four local properties that Spring would manage.
"However, in the meantime we need more private properties for our housing partner to lease.
“To help encourage more landlords to come forward, we are using some of the Government funding we received to tackle homelessness, to offer landlords up to six months’ rental income in advance.
"We hope this will boost the number of properties we have available and provide homes for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“On top of rental income and managing the property, Spring also provides an outreach service to the residents to make sure they get the support they need to make living in their new home a success.”
Dominic Bradley, Group CEO for Spring Housing Association, said: “As landlords you can be sure we will lease accommodation from you, undertake all aspects of housing management and health and safety, and ensure regular visits to your properties to make sure they are well maintained.
“If you have a property and want to invest in your community, please contact us to hear more about how we can work together.”
More information on the landlord scheme can be found at www.springhousing.org.uk.
To discuss the landlord scheme, please contact Spring Housing Association by emailing rajbir@springhousing.org.uk or calling 0121 663 1443.
