Extract from our 2019 Annual Report
Hello Everyone
A huge thank you to everyone for your valued time, food, clothes and financial donations, they all keep Street Teams going.
We have good news! Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) has secured funding from the Government for the Housing First Project.
Housing First Project works on the principal of getting people housed, and then with the stability of a roof over their heads, other issues can be tackled. For example addictions or mental health issues. Previously, homes were only offered once any issues were sorted and people were deemed “house ready”.
Housing is a matter of right not a reward.
The funds are paying for two full time employees to provide support to rough sleepers in ten properties, to assist them in sustaining their accommodation and to move on from rough sleeping to a long term housing solution. As well as staffing costs the council are buying furniture, flooring and white goods needed for the flats.
TWBC are trying to secure a further ten properties as the project is going so well. Unfortunately landlords willing to rent their properties to rough sleepers are hard to find.
Due to the success of the Housing First Project, the Winter Shelter will not be running this year. Help will obviously still be available for those guests engaging with the necessary agencies and Street Teams will continue as usual.
More information on the Housing First Project can be found at www.homeless.org.uk
We will continue with Street Teams as long as people need us. Sometimes it is simply a chat our guests need. It can be a very lonely world out there and if we can help in anyway we will.
It is with sadness I share the news that two guests passed away this year, Jane Johnson and Graham Hunter. Graham had a lot of problems over the years but had started to turn his life around; he was housed and getting back on his feet.
Vicki Stewart
Chairperson
A huge thank you to everyone for your valued time, food, clothes and financial donations, they all keep Street Teams going.
We have good news! Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) has secured funding from the Government for the Housing First Project.
Housing First Project works on the principal of getting people housed, and then with the stability of a roof over their heads, other issues can be tackled. For example addictions or mental health issues. Previously, homes were only offered once any issues were sorted and people were deemed “house ready”.
Housing is a matter of right not a reward.
The funds are paying for two full time employees to provide support to rough sleepers in ten properties, to assist them in sustaining their accommodation and to move on from rough sleeping to a long term housing solution. As well as staffing costs the council are buying furniture, flooring and white goods needed for the flats.
TWBC are trying to secure a further ten properties as the project is going so well. Unfortunately landlords willing to rent their properties to rough sleepers are hard to find.
Due to the success of the Housing First Project, the Winter Shelter will not be running this year. Help will obviously still be available for those guests engaging with the necessary agencies and Street Teams will continue as usual.
More information on the Housing First Project can be found at www.homeless.org.uk
We will continue with Street Teams as long as people need us. Sometimes it is simply a chat our guests need. It can be a very lonely world out there and if we can help in anyway we will.
It is with sadness I share the news that two guests passed away this year, Jane Johnson and Graham Hunter. Graham had a lot of problems over the years but had started to turn his life around; he was housed and getting back on his feet.
Vicki Stewart
Chairperson
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