Mayor pledges over £1.7 million to house Black Country rough sleepers before Christmas
Mayor Richard Parker has secured over £5 million for the West Midlands to help end rough sleeping
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, has made a commitment to see every person sleeping rough in the region offered a roof over their head this Christmas, and support to stay there.
The Mayor said more than £5.5 million secured from government would be used to provide accommodation and wraparound support to anyone sleeping on the street who wanted it.
Of this, over £1.7 million will be used in communities in the Black County.
Here's how the funding's being split:
- Dudley will get £317,000
- Sandwell will get £533,000
- Walsall will get £394,000
- Wolverhampton will get £505,000
- The remaining funds will be spilt between Birmingham (£2.2 million), Solihull (£306,000) and Coventry (£815,000)
The funding is being handed by the Mayor to the region’s seven local councils as part of a national drive by Prime Minister Andy Burnham to end rough sleeping.
Innovative approaches developed during the pandemic, alongside practical help with housing, health and other needs, will be rolled out to give people the opportunity to build a more stable future, the mayor said.
He said crucially, this will also help prevent people from reaching the streets in the first place, progressing the region’s ambition to design out homelessness in all its forms.
The most recent annual snapshot found 158 people sleeping rough on a single night in the West Midlands.
That’s equal to around 5.1 people per 100,000 of the population - which is lower than the England average of 8.2 per 100,000, accord to the West Midlands Combined Authority.
The Mayor said: “When you hear the stories of people sleeping on the streets you're in no doubt about how quickly homelessness can strip away your health, confidence and opportunities. Its impact can be devastating, but it does not have to define your future.
“This money from the Prime Minister will do more than put a roof over someone’s head this Christmas. It will give people the stability and support they need to rebuild their lives.
“It's on top of the brilliant work already happening across the West Midlands, with councils, charities and others working hard to prevent homelessness and support people at risk.
“We're clear in our ambition to keep working together to make sure no one has to sleep rough before they can get the help they need to turn their life around.”