Council tackles homelessness
Malvern Hills District Council is currently
investigating the extent of rough sleeping in Malvern, as part of a
national survey. District council housing officers met recently
with county councillors Penelope Morgan and Steve Brown to discuss
the issue of rough sleeping and to brief them about the services
designed to prevent homelessness, which operate across the
county.
The main topic of conversation was the Night
Assessment Centre (NAC) which will open at Worcester YMCA on 21
November. The NAC not only provides a safe place to sleep during
the cold weather, but supports homeless people by helping them to
address the issues which have led them to become homeless – often
enabling them to get off the streets and into suitable
housing. Having contributed funding to the NAC project, the
council is now working with its partners to establish an
all-year-round facility in Worcester to help reduce rough
sleeping.
The council’s Housing Team is also working
with landlords and partner agencies to address disrepair and
tenancy issues in the private sector, and to ensure that housing
advice is available to those who need it.
Councillor David Hughes, Portfolio
Holder for Planning & Housing at MHDC said:
“It is not acceptable for anybody to be
sleeping rough these days. We have resources in place to tackle
rough sleeping, and these will be increased during the winter
months with the opening of the Night Assessment Centre which
provides emergency accommodation for rough sleepers and which
operated very successfully last year. All councils have a statutory
responsibility for homelessness prevention and together with our
agent, Festival Housing, we are doing everything we
can to tackle this issue.”
If you need advice about housing, or you would
like to let us know about someone sleeping rough please email the
council’s housing team in confidence at housingenquiry@malvernhills.gov.uk
or call us on 01684 862151. More information can be found on
the council’s website at www.malvernhills.gov.uk/housing.
The Night Assessment Centre which is located
at the YMCA on Henwick Road in the St. Johns area of Worcester will
be open from Monday 21st November. The centre will
be open between 9.30 pm and 07.00 am daily.
