ST HELENS Borough Council and Torus have successfully bid for £1,134,083 funding to provide interim and long-term ‘next steps’ accommodation for rough sleepers.

Councils and housing associations across the country were invited to apply to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP) for funding that would support the next stage of the national Covid-19 rough sleeping response, with successful bids officially confirmed by Government today.

At the start of the pandemic, local authorities were urged to do all they could to get rough sleepers off the street and into emergency accommodation under temporary measures, such as hotel accommodation.

The council and its partners have assisted 108 people into either supported housing, private rented or other forms of housing since the onset of the pandemic.

Now local agencies want to ensure that as few of these vulnerable individuals as possible return to the streets, by maintaining short-term support and interim accommodation as long as needed, and then by providing long-term ‘next steps’ accommodation, with professional support in place to sustain tenancies.

The successful bid proposal for NSAP funding is in two parts: short-term and long-term. For short-term support, the council has received £149,800 revenue funding to continue interim arrangements, while for the long-term Torus will receive £756,000 capital and £228,283 revenue funding.

This will see two disused apartment blocks located on the outskirts of St Helens town centre owned by Torus remodelled to create 28 long-term supported move-on accommodation units.

The scheme will improve rough sleeper options for St Helens Borough and bring back into use two vacant housing sites.

The scheme will be managed by Torus and have 24-hour security on site, with around-the-clock support from local partners and providers including the Salvation Army and the council-commissioned integrated recovery service Change, Grow, Live.

As Covid-19 remains a risk, it is also essential that rough sleepers, particularly those with underlying health conditions, are kept safe and well and are able to self-isolate.

Councillor Jeanie Bell, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities, said: “With this confirmation today, we are now very optimistic about our future work to end rough sleeping in St Helens Borough. Our proposals will fundamentally change the provision for rough sleepers in our borough. They will grant us the time and space we need to affect real change for these vulnerable people, enabling individuals to access crucial services that can support their transition into longer term housing and sustain stable tenancies into the future.

“We couldn’t do this without the aid of our local partners and support providers, and we hope that this project will demonstrate what can be achieved when organisations work together to finally solve one of the largest, most tragic and so deeply-rooted problems in modern society.”

Torus Chief Executive Officer, Steve Coffey, added: “One of our driving priorities is to invest in and grow stronger communities and, right now, providing people with a safe and secure place to call home has never been more important.

“But the remodelling of the site is about more than just putting a home over someone’s head. We’ll also be offering intensive support to help residents sustain their home and improve their lives.

“The pandemic has highlighted real inequalities across the region and we are determined to ensure that no one is left behind.

“However long it lasts and how many years its impacts are felt, we are committed to lending direct and effective support to our partners, to our tenants and residents and entire communities.”