£650k grant to help rough sleepers in Stafford
A scheme to help rough sleepers keep a roof over their head is set to be rolled out in Stafford thanks to £650,000 grant from the Government.
Five properties are being bought to provide homes for people sleeping on the streets who have struggled holding on to accommodation.
The homes will be bought by social housing provider, Humankind, in partnership with Stafford Borough Council.
Humankind has a strong track record in supporting people to do what is necessary to maintain a tenancy, without long term support.
The local authority and Humankind have been successful in gaining £312,000 from the government’s Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme to support the project.
Councillor Jeremy Pert, cabinet member for communities and health at the borough council, said that helping people off the streets had never been just about housing.
He said: “Tackling the issue of people sleeping rough in Stafford is not just about providing a roof over someone’s head.
"Many of those we see on a regular basis have been provided with, or found, somewhere to live but often find themselves back on the streets.
"This is about helping them sustain that accommodation for the long term.”
Along with the government funding, the borough council and Humankind are also pumping money into the scheme which is being supported by a wide range of partners including the police, Staffordshire County Council, and health services.
The borough council is seen as one of the leaders in the country at tackling the issues of homelessness and rough sleeping.
It was the first in the Midlands to achieve the national Gold standard for homeless prevention, has received visits from high profile politicians keen to find out more about their initiatives, and has been previously singled out by speakers in the House of Lords for its success in reducing numbers of rough sleepers.
Councillor Pert said: “Humankind will provide assistance to ensure those accessing this additional support can develop the skills to help them sustain a tenancy independently.
"As the need for that support reduces, they will be helped to access independent accommodation and this will mean we then have an available property for another person either sleeping rough or at risk of living on the streets.
“This funding has come at a time when we want to redouble our efforts over recent times to get our street homeless into long term accommodation and is a testament to the reputation we have nationally in introducing initiatives to tackle the issues of homelessness and rough sleeping.”
