Prime Minister urged to meet with Teesside charities to tackle homelessness
Andy Burnham's vowed to get every rough sleeper in England off the streets by Christmas
A Teesside homelessness charity is calling on the Prime Minister to meet with them and others to get a better understanding of community needs.
We've told you about Andy Burnham's vow to get every rough sleeper in England off the streets by Christmas - which is exactly 100 days away.
Nicky Morson is from Cornerstone in Hartlepool and she said: "We do feel as though that the Prime Minister would benefit from visiting charities like ourselves so you can get a better understanding of the needs of the clients who've long term been rough sleeping.
"Unfortunately the people who we house within the next three months who haven't had the right support whilst housed will end up homeless.
"Any investment towards homelessness in the UK is a massive benefit and charities like ourselves are massively grateful, but we do feel like it should be aimed towards the smaller charities and the groups who are supporting the people once they're housed.
"It's not a matter of picking people up and putting them in houses, it's giving them the support to lead forward to independent living.
"Individuals who have been homeless for years may engage well enough to get them housed within the three months but where the money needs to be spent is the support for them people to obviously progress through their housing pathway.
"Emergency accommodation is just a very short step. There's a long, long way to go after that and I believe the money should be spent there or else you end up with a cycle.
"Our charity has grown massive over the last 20 years, but our focus has always been on the individuals who we are housing. As Steve, our founder, has always said, we could go out, buy more houses and take people directly off the street, but if we haven't got the team to support them people in the houses, it's a wasted time. It's a ticky box exercise because unfortunately they'll end up homeless.
"We would love the opportunity for a visit to speak to him directly about our housing pathway, but it's took us over 20 years of experience to gain this model that massively works for us in the North East. We would really love the opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister, walk him through our housing pathway and show him what we have learned."
Last month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, said: "No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.
"I won’t accept it. That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it’s why we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.
"We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again. But it needs all of us. Government will put the money in. But I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too.
"Let’s get people out the cold. And let’s bring back hope."
PM's pledge
Andy Burnham has announced the next steps in his national drive to end rough sleeping by announcing immediate action to offer everyone who needs it a route off the streets by Christmas, backed by increased funding of £442 million.
New accommodation and support will be rolled out across England this winter, learning from innovative approaches put into place during the pandemic.
Alongside emergency accommodation to end the need for rough sleeping, the programme, fully funded within MHCLG budgets, will offer practical help with housing, health and other needs, helping people build a more stable future.
In addition, the Prime Minister has announced he will host a first of its kind national summit in the Autumn to bring together leaders from across society - from business, finance, charities, health, faith communities and more - to ask what role each of them can play in ending rough sleeping.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "When the Prime Minister pledged to end rough sleeping, we said we’d move urgently from words to action. Today we’re delivering on that promise.
"This funding will help thousands of people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives.
"Working alongside councils, mayors and charities, we’re backing local areas to tackle rough sleeping at its roots, giving people the security, dignity and opportunity they deserve, and restoring hope to those who have been let down for far too long."