REDDITCH is to put close to £300,000 into tackling and preventing homelessness.
Councillors at Tuesday night’s executive committee meeting heard the Borough Council has received a grant for £314,926 from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to tackle rough sleeping and preventing single homelessness, reducing the number of families in temporary accommodation and eliminating the use of unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation for families for longer than the statutory six weeks.
The authority has unanimously agreed to spend £31,500 on an outreach worker for Redditch Nightstop to support 21 to 35 year olds and prevent homelessness or work towards planned moves into suitable, sustainable accommodation.
A further £53,537 will be spent on the Caring for Communities and People Rough Sleeper Outreach Service for Bromsgrove and Redditch, plus up to £18,000 with Fry Accord which provides supported accommodation for ex-offenders or those likely to offend.
In addition £14,200 will go to St Basils which provides 23 units of accommodation for young people aged 16 to 23 in the town.
Newstarts, a furniture project which provides furniture for homeless households will receive £5,000 and £17,060 will go on homelessness prevention for use by housing options officers.
Temporary accommodation management will receive £66,380 and the CCP rapid response winter weather team will get £3,500.
£25,700 will be spent on a progression coach for St Basils Smallwood Almshouses to offer additional support that can operate outside of normal office hours and £61,332 will be go to tenancy ready officers so they can provide training and support to housing applicants to obtain and sustain accommodation.
Councillor Craig Warhurst (Con, Astwood Bank and Feckenham) told Tuesday night’s council executive committee meeting: “There are some great groups we are looking to support here and I am delighted to propose the recommendations.”
The remainder of the money, some £20,000, will be used as a contingency fund.
