West Midlands Mayor welcomes plan for 40 homes set aside to help rough sleepers
Forty homes have been set aside for rough sleepers in a bid to tackle "distressing and unacceptable" levels of homelessness.
The properties in Walsall have been provided by landlord whg and form part of the region's £9.6 million Housing First scheme, which aims to eradicate rough sleeping across the West Midlands.
It is one of three national pilots and involves rough sleepers being given homes and support in an effort to get them off the streets.
So far more than 80 homeless people have been housed across the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area out of a target of 600 over three years.
Fay Shanahan, a director at whg, said: “The increasing levels of homelessness that we are seeing is distressing and unacceptable.
"With the more visible forms of homelessness, such as rough sleeping, also on the rise, it is vital that we support initiatives such as these.
"Programmes like Housing First are a necessary and important step to getting vulnerable people off the streets and helping them into long term accommodation.
“We’re committed to working with WMCA, Walsall Council and other key partners to ensure that Walsall’s Housing First programme is a success.”
Walsall Council has pledged to support 88 people through the initiative.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, the authority's deputy leader, said: “Without doubt these new homes will not only be life changing, but in some cases life-saving.”
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, who brought Housing First to the region, said the initiative was proving to be a success.
“Housing First has already helped more than 80 homeless people into accommodation across the region and this number will only continue to rise thanks to whg’s commitment," he said.
“Whg deserve enormous praise for joining our fight to help tackle homelessness across the region, and I would encourage other housing providers to do the same as we all have a moral duty to tackle homelessness.”
Working alongside Walsall Council and the WMCA, whg initially provided six homes for the scheme.
FryAccord, which is part of Accord Housing Association, is also providing the support to Housing First residents in Walsall.
