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London council launches Housing First pilot as part of £500,000 homelessness package
Newham Council has unveiled a wave of new projects to tackle homelessness, including a Housing First pilot aimed at tackling rough sleeping.
The east London council will use a £500,000 grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to fund the pilot as well as a 20-bed emergency accommodation shelter, staffed by specialists in mental health and drug and alcohol treatment.
Inside Housing has been calling for the government to adopt a Housing First approach to rough sleeping as part of its Cathy at 50 campaign. Last November, the government announced a £28m package to fund three regional Housing First pilots.
Susan Masters, cabinet member for health and social care at Newham, said: “Tackling the housing crisis and addressing rough sleeping is a top priority for the council.
“We are building a robust set of services, including a new 20-bed assessment centre, extra emergency beds and an extended pilot of the Housing First scheme, which supports people with a roof over their head right at the start of their journey off the streets.”
Amid a range of measures on homelessness, Newham will also increase the provision of pop-up day care facilities for the homeless through extra funding, and support women who have been victims of domestic abuse but have no recourse to public funds because of their immigration status.
The number of rough sleepers in Newham increased according to the latest available figures.
Rokhsana Fiaz, mayor of Newham, said: “It is unacceptable that every night over 70 people are bedding down on the streets of Newham alone.”
“It is a disgrace that in 2018 people are forced to risk their safety and health by sleeping on the streets and in Stratford shopping centre.”
“With this fresh new approach and funding, I want to ensure that we give people a genuine alternative to sleeping rough and a clear path to safe, permanent homes, as well as the support they need to break the cycle of despair they find themselves in.”
The new services will be overseen by a new homelessness forum, which will meet for the first time next month. The forum will include representatives of the homeless community as well as council staff and volunteer groups.
