Work to provide seven new homes for people who would otherwise be at risk of sleeping rough has been completed in Knowsley in Merseyside.
The £900,000 project involved transforming derelict properties above shops in Huyton into four new studio, and three one-bedroom apartments.
The development was led by local landlord ForHousing, which owns and manages over 24,000 homes across the North West, including 1,600 in Knowsley.
The homes are part of the government’s Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and were backed by more than £200,000 of Homes England funding, along with and £90,000 of funding from Knowsley Council.
Nigel Sedman, the housing association’s executive director of homes, said: “Everyone should have the security of a safe and stable home. It’s so positive to see people who need it most being supported to start a new chapter in their lives at these high-quality homes.
“Thanks to the Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme, and our partnership with Knowsley Council and the YMCA, we can help more people have the opportunity to build a brighter future.”
The government’s £433m RSAP was launched in 2020 to deliver up to 6,000 homes for rough sleepers, and bring forward accommodation to help tackle rough sleeping in the long term.
ForHousing says tenancies for RSAP homes are for a maximum of three years so that support continues to be available for other rough sleepers for many years to come.
The new tenants will be offered wrap-around support from both the housing provider and the YMCA to give them the best chance of rebuilding their lives and sustaining their tenancy.
This includes one-to-one help with setting up bills, paying rent, drug and alcohol addiction support, employment, volunteering, and training.
In addition to the seven homes, designed by architect Whiteley Eaves, ForHousing has also provided the YMCA with over £22,000 to furnish the homes and to buy any essential items that tenants might need.
Dale Milburn, Knowsley Council’s executive director for regeneration and economic development, said: “It is great to see once-vacant properties in Huyton turned into essential homes for people at risk of rough sleeping.
“Our partnership with ForHousing has been instrumental in bringing this vital scheme to fruition, positively impacting both the tenants and the local community in Huyton.
“It’s heartening to know that with the ongoing support from YMCA and ForHousing, tenants will receive the necessary assistance to sustain their tenancy, fostering stability and security in their lives.”
In total, ForHousing says it intends to deliver 45 new homes worth more than £8.5m through the RSAP and NSAP programmes.
NSAP is a government funding initiative, separate to RSAP, for schemes focused on preventing people who were sleeping rough and given temporary accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic, from returning to the streets.
Independently of RSAP and NSAP, ForHousing says it has brought forward a number of collaborative projects to tackle homelessness, including building a £3.9m scheme in Salford of 39 homes specifically for people facing homelessness.
Image credit: Kmpzzz – Shutterstock
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