HAVE YOUR SAY ON HOMELESSNESS

Salford City Council has commissioned a public consultation which will play a major role in re-shaping the city’s homelessness strategy. 

City Mayor Paul Dennett wants local residents to have their say.Mayor Dennett said:

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“Since 2013, Salford Council has worked hard to tackle the issue of homelessness.

“We’ve worked with partner organisations to improve early intervention and support for vulnerable people  which has kept over 1600 people from losing their homes since 2013. We’ve also kept 12 housing options advisors in post despite horrific cuts to our government funding.

“We have almost halved the number of empty homes across the city bringing over 3000 back into use as homes of various types. This includes developing an innovative lease and repair scheme with social landlords which has  turned  140 empty unused properties  into  affordable, well managed homes with another 85 in the pipeline.

“We are also working to maintain and drive up standards in the private rented sector with landlord licensing schemes covering 2,800 homes.”

 

Salford’s current strategy Prevention, Protection, and Place Matters covers the period from 2013 to 2018. The new strategy and delivery plan, which will be published in April next year, will cover from 2018 to 2023.

Under the Homelessness Act 2002, every council by law must set out how it will prevent, reduce and tackle the causes of homelessness and provide appropriate housing and support for people who are homeless. The strategy must be reviewed every five years.

The government has recently implemented the Homelessness Reduction Act, reassessing the statutory duties of local authorities in dealing with this issue, protecting residents at risk of being made homeless.

City Mayor Paul Dennett, who has made tackling homelessness and poverty key priorities, said: 

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“Homeless is a national problem made worse by government cuts to local authority budgets. It is something which we as a council cannot tackle alone.

“However, there are always improvements we can make and I welcome any practical ideas and suggestions for the local authority to adopt.”

 

Comments must be received by Monday October 16:

www.salford.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/homelessness-strategy-2018-to-2023-consultation/