New partnership secures accommodation for homeless in Coventry

A new partnership between the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and specialist housing provider Stonewater will work to secure housing for rough sleepers.

With funding from the government’s Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP), Stonewater has purchased five one-bedroom apartments in Coventry city centre.

The homes will be reserved for people with a history of homelessness to provide them with a base while they receive specialist support from Coventry City Council’s Brighter Futures Team.

The partnership is aiming to provide stability and accommodation for between two to three years, depending on each person’s needs, helping them to rebuild their lives and secure long-term accommodation.

Andrew King, Stonewater’s Head of Supported Living, said: ‘Across England it’s estimated that there are more than 2,400 people sleeping rough every night. The need for specialist services that can support those who have faced adversity, like homelessness, is ever-growing.

‘We’re really pleased that through our partnership work we’ve been able to welcome five new customers and provide them a safe place where they have the space to heal and access support. Hopefully enabling them to move forward with their lives, rather than living in a cycle of having to focus all their energy on worrying about where they will sleep every night.’

There are concerns that the cost-of-living crisis could lead to a rise in homelessness, with Amnesty International revealing that one on three UK adults were concerned they could become homeless within the next five years.

Charity Crisis estimated that around 227,000 people across the UK were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness in 2021, sleeping in the streets, vans, sheds or stuck in B&Bs.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: ‘Since the very start of my time in office, I have made tackling homelessness in our region a key part of my mayoral mission.

‘We have made genuine progress thanks to WMCA efforts underway via programmes such as Change Into Action and Housing First.

‘Now this new initiative in conjunction with Stonewater – powered by funding secured through the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme – enables a specialist accommodation service to begin, with the first five people now successfully housed and on track to rebuild their lives. We will continue to work hard to help those who have fallen on tough times and schemes like this demonstrate the impact we can make.’

Photo by Jon Tyson