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Wrap around support to help rough sleepers maintain tenancies

Babergh

Wrap around support to help rough sleepers maintain tenancies

Greater support will be available in Suffolk to help rough sleepers find and retain private sector housing following a successful bid for Government funds.

At the moment housing authorities often find that private sector landlords are unwilling to house somebody who has been homeless and sleeping rough as that person may have addiction, mental health or other complex needs and require support.

That in turn leaves councils and rough sleepers dependent on hostel and other emergency or temporary accommodation beds which isn't always ideal.

Now Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, and West Suffolk Council are to create a Supported Lettings Team that will enable it to offer greater assurances and confidence to landlords to house these tenants.

The team is being established following a joint bid for £209,000 from the councils to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Government's plans to end rough sleeping by 2027.

The support team will step in to help people at the early stages of rough sleeping before they become entrenched in the lifestyle and their support needs become much more complex.

The help it will provide will include support:

to develop independent living skills;
with learning and skills to manage a tenancy and adhere to tenancy terms;
with learning to budget;
to access or signposting to health and care services;
with budget management, benefits, work or education;
to develop and cultivate support networks

Cllr Jan Osborne, cabinet member for Housing at Babergh District Council, said:

"This is wonderful news for us as a council and for residents in need of this specialised support. Having a place to feel safe and secure is essential for everyone and this funding will enable us to support some of the most vulnerable in our community whilst also offering assurance to landlords in the district. Our housing solutions team are already doing amazing work to support those at risk of homelessness in Babergh, but these funds will help to develop this work further whilst supporting people to find a home to build their future."

Cllr Julie Flatman, cabinet member for Communities and Housing at Mid Suffolk District Council, said:

"We understand how important it is for everyone to have a place to call home, regardless of their situation. It's great we've been able to secure funding to offer support to those at risk of homelessness when they need it most, whilst giving them the life skills to become more independent. This specialised team will play a vital role in preventing and reducing homelessness in line with the aims set out in our Joint Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy with Babergh."

Cllr Sara Mildmay-White, Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Housing at West Suffolk Council, said:

"This will enable us to help people by wrapping support around their tenancies, tailored to whatever their individual needs are, offering the assurances that landlords need that they won't be left in the lurch if problems occur. It will complement the work of our rough sleeper outreach team which includes expertise in mental health and addiction support, and it will further our ongoing work to both prevent and reduce rough sleeping."

The six newly funded posts will be advertised in the next few weeks. For information about these vacancies go to www.suffolkjobsdirect.org/bmsdc

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