Westminster Against Dirty Money Charter
- April 2024
Housing First
Implementing a service which assists rough sleepers from the streets into accommodation including wrap around support
- Lead Member Stevenage Borough Council
- Categories Poverty
- Assets Download Case Study
Principles met
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Co-production
We will develop systems that enable citizens to be equal partners in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources. -
Innovation
We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change. -
Learning
We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network. -
New models of meeting priority needs
In exploring new ways of meeting the priority needs of our communities we will encourage models, such as co-operatives and mutuals, which give greater influence and voice to staff and users. in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.
In 2019, Stevenage Borough Council introduced its strategy to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. The strategy (2019-2024), outlines the council’s ambitions to set up a Housing First service which now in place, assists rough sleepers from the streets into accommodation including wrap around support. The service was created in partnership with council staff, residents and homeless individuals of Stevenage.
Background
In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic was announced and the initial lockdown occurred, which brought in the ‘Everyone In’ directive from central government. This meant all rough sleepers were to be offered accommodation regardless of priority need and most were placed into hotels on a short term, emergency basis to safeguard them as much as possible. As a direct result of the pandemic, the Housing First project was brought forward, and due to government funding becoming available, and the councils Housing Supply Team who assist homeless cases into the private rented sector, SBC were successfully able to place 28 individuals into the private rented sector, paying their first months’ rent and deposit costs as their hotels stays came to an end in July 2020
For further information contact:
Will Peters
Housing First Project Manager
Stevenage Borough Council
