Pilot scheme to tackle homelessness in West Midlands should be rolled out by Government, says Mayor
A pilot project designed to tackle homelessness across the West Midlands should be backed and rolled out across the country, the region's mayor has said.
Andy Street said the Housing First scheme had helped almost 300 rough sleepers off the streets – and would be successful in other areas.
The project helps provide a home for those in need across the West Midlands and hands them the support needed to re-build their lives.
Mr Street, speaking to All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Ending Homelessness as part of their inquiry into Housing First, said: "The success of the Housing First scheme in the West Midlands is clear for all to see, and has contributed to us reducing the number of rough sleepers across the region – particularly in Birmingham where we faced a significant challenge.
"With this success in mind, and a huge challenge around homelessness emerging because of the coronavirus pandemic, now is the time for the Government to commit to this scheme long-term, rolling it out across the country and integrating it as part of the UK’s housing strategy."
The pilot, led by councils in the area, has seen collaboration between the DWP, housing providers, health providers and wider services across the region.
Residents in the West Midlands are also given a small budget to make their new homes their own thanks to pilot funding and money donated through the Change into Action scheme.
It is estimated homelessness costs the UK between £20,000 to £25,000 a year per person – with the cost of Housing First being around £14,000 a year.
But the Government has not yet committed to the scheme permanently and instead has focused on three trial in the West Midlands, Liverpool and in Manchester.
Mr Street told the APPG, co-chaired by Bob Blackman MP and Neil Coyle MP, the pilot had faced some issues – including availability, affordability and sustainability.
But the best way to tackle the issue would be for Housing First to be part of local and national housing strategies, allowing the right type of accommodation to be available.
Another issue was a lack of certainty over future funding – with the pilot scheduled for three years and people needing more than three years support, the mayor said.
Mr Street said the pilot needed a long-term commitment from the Government to provide certainty to people in need and the support workers in the region.
"This is working, it is a breakthrough, and as a country we need to get behind it and roll it out," he added.
