PLANS are being put in place to help former rough sleepers in Warwick district remain in secure accommodation.
At a count last month the number of rough sleepers in the district had dropped from 22 to four.
And now the council is continuing its work, which first began in March with government’s ‘everyone in’ initiative. It saw officers work alongside voluntary agencies to provide more than 80 homeless people with B&B accommodation.
The council is now progressing its programme to enable former rough sleepers move into their own accommodation.
It is also changing its provision at its hostel at William Wallsgrove House to create a more supportive environment for those transitioning to permanent accommodation.
The hostel closed from Friday (December 11), to allow the building to be converted for the new service and the remaining residents have been temporarily rehoused with additional support provided.
The council is also arranging emergency accommodation to ensure nobody in the district is street-homeless.
Warwick District Council’s housing spokesman Coun Jan Matecki said: “I’m extremely proud of the work we have done at William Wallsgrove House over the past two years and would like to thank the council’s housing team and our partner agencies for their amazing efforts to support more than 200 rough sleepers, many of whom have now found permanent accommodation, reconnected with friends and family or have undergone rehabilitation programmes. However, now is the time to make a temporary fix a more permanent solution and I am confident that our new service will help even more of the most vulnerable in our society to turn their lives around for good.”
