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Specialist supported housing provider launches pilot with DWP
Supported housing provider Sustain UK has announced it is providing accommodation to participants in a government pilot scheme.
The specialist provider has partnered with the Birmingham and Solihull District Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Moving On programme.
It will provide stable housing to participants in the pilot, who are also receiving skills training and support from The Salvation Army, to help them find full-time employment and move out of supported accommodation.
The DWP-funded sessions will cover essential areas such as money management and skills tailored to maintaining a successful tenancy, as well as employment skills such as CV writing, interview techniques and strategies.
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Mason Boreland, 25, Trey Buchanan, 22, and Athar Hussain, 21, have been selected for the programme so far and are now living together in north Birmingham.
Mr Boreland said: “I’m really pleased to have this opportunity. My aim is to gain further independence and hopefully move into full-time work.”
It is hoped the combination of proper housing and classroom-based teaching will provide a foundation for participants to start their journey to independence.
Mr Hussain said: “Living with other people whilst taking part in Moving On means we can better support each other. We’re working towards the same goal, and it’s nice to have the support from the other lads at home.”
Sustain UK said nearly 1,800 individuals are in supported accommodation and it has over 400 properties under management across Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Natalie Cartmell, district partnership manager and housing and homeless lead for Birmingham and Solihull at the DWP, said: “The Moving On project was designed to provide opportunities to residents, enabling them to move on from supported accommodation.
“The DWP-funded course, facilitated by The Salvation Army, offers money management, tenancy skills and employability – and aims to show potential landlords that, with the right education, residents can succeed.
“It is amazing to have Sustain UK on board, [which] can offer affordable accommodation to participants who complete the course. This is evidence that supported accommodation providers want to be part of the solution, enabling residents to thrive and move forward to independence.”
Ian MacGregor, chief executive of Sustain UK, said: “Specialist supported housing plays a vital role in reducing homelessness, but we recognise that the longer people live in supported housing, the harder it can become for them to leave and progress their lives.
“We’re also taking action to reduce supported housing in some areas of Birmingham, and I’m hopeful that initiatives like this will help achieve that goal over time.
“Sustain UK has reduced its supported housing and elected to suspend offering properties in identified exempt-housing density hotspots.”
Luke Joyce, who is leading Moving On for Sustain UK, said: “Moving On will hopefully demonstrate to those residents who are ready how they can evolve their lives away from supported housing so they can achieve greater autonomy and, ultimately, stability and happiness.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on people’s lives.”
This scheme from Sustain UK comes after a recent report that found that an extra 641,000 units of supported housing could be needed over the next 15 years to tackle rising demand.
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