Buckinghamshire Council to buy property to house rough sleepers in Aylesbury and Wycombe
The plan is to purchase property that will then be leased out to house rough sleepers
Buckinghamshire Council are moving forward with their scheme to rehouse rough sleepers.
Two plans have been announced to help rehouse rough sleepers in Buckinghamshire, including properties in Wycombe and Aylesbury.
Buckinghamshire Council say this latest move follows the 'Everyone In' campaign which was brought in due to Coronavirus.
This as a government initiative was to get local authorities to get all the rough sleepers into accommodation so they weren't a risk to themselves and others during the peak of the first wave.
Following this the government brought forward their plan overall to get all rough sleepers off the streets, since most had already been housed/contacted through the 'Everyone In' initiative".
Isobel Darby, Cabinet Member for Housing & Homelessness, she says rough sleepers face a range of issues:
"You've got no address, that causes huge problems in the first case when applying for jobs and things like that.
"You're also incredibly vulnerable. You can't have possessions in case they get stolen. You're in a bad place in terms of health.
"Life expectancy for a rough sleeper is horrifyingly 30 years less than you or I, that is horrifying."
Now though, Buckinghamshire Council's two plans to house rough sleepers have been approved.
The two schemes are:
- To grant fund Harrow Churches Housing Association £1.3m - using £650k of Next Steps Accommodation Programme grant awarded from MHCLG/Homes England and up to £650k of unallocated s.106 developer funding - for them to be able to purchase 15 one bedroom properties in the Wycombe and Aylesbury areas for move on from supported housing for former rough sleepers
- To grant fund Hightown Housing Association £650k of unallocated s.106 developer funding - for them to be able to purchase Ardenham House, Aylesbury match funding a £650,000 award from the Next Steps Accommodation Programme for this purpose, subject to contract with Hightown and in return for a nomination agreement on behalf of the Council in perpetuity.
- The Hightown Housing Association project will support rough sleepers with more specific needs, for example support for health issues from professionals.
Cllr Darby says this scheme will provide rough sleepers with more than just independence:
"It is a huge opportunity to turn their life around. Its the wrap around support that helps. All these people will be receiving support to overcome any physical or mental health issues they may have and to help with money.
"We have already success stories with people in our temporary accommodation during COVID-19. Some will find it very hard, but people just need to be giving the opportunity and we want to be able to do that.
"Dame Lousie Casey described the 'Everyone In' programme as 'the silver lining that is the black cloud of covid.' And I just think that is a lovely description. It is something that was going to happen but was brought forward, and if that means we have changed the lives and saved people then that is just fantastic. "