Wolverhampton office block to be turned into flats for rough sleepers

Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet gave the green light to plans for the Single Persons Accommodation Project at a meeting on Wednesday.

The scheme will involve the conversion of officers at Bond House, in Bond Street, into apartments and bedsits with almost half earmarked for homeless people.

Council bosses said the project will be funded by the authority’s housing revenue account as well as a grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme.

Cabinet members heard how officers were aware of four people sleeping rough in the city, with efforts continuing to be made to provide support for them.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for city assets and housing, said: “This project is to provide accommodation and support to single, vulnerable people including rough sleepers in Bond House.

“Bond House will be an office to residential conversion. Thirty-two flats and bedsits with 15 specifically for people with a history of rough sleeping.

“Bid for funding from MHCLG has been submitted to fund the units and support workers. The rest of the funding will come from the housing revenue account.

“The development is scheduled for completion by summer 2022.”

Council leader Ian Brookfield added: “We’re extremely proud of what we’re about to do here. This is a real commitment to end the scourge of rough sleeping in our city.

“We’re ahead of the game on this. Other areas will wish they’ve gone down this road.

“We’re putting finance into this and there is a portion we are asking from the MHCLG, who are going to partners in this in our city when they move in.

“They should make a small contribution to enable this good work to continue.

“It was only a few years ago, we would have 30 or 40 rough sleepers and I think at the last count was four people.”