Council backs World Homeless Day 2023 as support continues
Telford & Wrekin Council is preventing or relieving more people from becoming homeless as it backs World Homeless Day 2023 today (Tues).
World Homeless Day, on Tuesday 10 October, raises awareness of homelessness and encourages local communities to help those who are in need of accommodation and a roof over their head.
The council has seen an increase in people presenting as homeless and needing support and advice since 2019, but the number of people the council is preventing or relieving from homelessness has also gone up.
In 2022-23, 3479 people approached the council’s housing solutions team and received support and advice, an increase of 510 from 2021-22.
1144 of those receiving advice in 2022-23 were owed a homelessness duty and received further advice and support.
However, of those, 929 were prevented or relieved from becoming homeless. The team continued to work with those whose homelessness could not immediately be resolved, supporting them to find alternative accommodation.
There are many reasons why people become homeless including relationship breakdowns, family eviction or a loss of private rented accommodation.
The council continues to tackle homelessness and support the most vulnerable people across the borough.
Rough sleepers have been helped through a series of innovative projects which have been rolled out across the borough since 2019 including the Next Steps and Rough Sleeper Accommodation programmes.
Through a local Rough Sleeping Taskforce with partners Maninplace, Kip@Maninplace, STAY Telford, MPFT, STARS, ABT, Orsa, TACT, Telford & Wrekin Council is providing support and offers emergency accommodation to those rough sleeping or facing rough sleeping.
The Next Steps and Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programmes have enabled the council to purchase 23 empty or disused properties to provide personalised supported accommodation for clients who have experienced rough sleeping and are ready to commit to a tenancy agreement.
Councillor Richard Overton (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Enforcement, said: “World Homeless Day is an excellent platform to highlight homelessness and how we are supporting members of our community who have nowhere to live.
“We have seen an increase over the last four years in the number of people approaching us for support and guidance.
“However, we are making great strides to prevent homelessness in the first instance and more people are now being preventing or relieved from becoming homeless than they were in 2019-20.
“Having a safe place to live is something many of us take for granted but lots of people in our borough need support and we remain committed to supporting local people, giving them the stability they need and a place they can call home.”
You can find out more about support for the homeless here:https://www.telford.gov.uk/.../are_you_at.../22/homelessness
