Safe accommodation vow as homeless vision revealed

City of Wolverhampton Council said it was to build on partnership work that had driven down rough sleeper numbers

People identified as sleeping rough in Wolverhampton will always be offered accommodation and support, the council has vowed, as it announces a new strategy.

Rough sleeping figures were often in single digits on a night, lower than many other parts of the country, the authority said.

The five-year strategy focuses on improving affordability and sustainment of tenancies in the private rented sector, alongside ensuring the provision of safe temporary shelter.

The new approach "highlights the importance of timely and accurate" information, advice and help at an early stage to alleviate homelessness.

Under the Homelessness Prevention strategy, City of Wolverhampton Council and its partners will still operate with a message that "nobody needs to sleep on the streets or go hungry".

Anyone found sleeping outside was always offered long-term safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation, the authority said.

'Excellent outcomes'

Council deputy leader and cabinet member for housing Steve Evans stated: "In cases where someone is identified as sleeping rough in Wolverhampton, they will always be offered accommodation and support.

"Sometimes people refuse help or support for various reasons, but we will still work with anyone who is homeless through outreach support."

Mr Evans said root causes were often connected to complex circumstances.

He added no single organisation could tackle homelessness alone and Wolverhampton had seen "excellent outcomes" from its partnership work and this would continue.

The number estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn last year in Wolverhampton was six, a fall of 68% since that season in 2018.

Partnership work had led to many recent achievements, the council said, including the authority sourcing more than 100 properties in the private sector to prevent homelessness to households granted refugee status.