In a joint initiative, Loddon Homes (Wokingham Borough Council’s wholly owned provider of housing), are now ready to welcome current homeless members of the community in to four high-quality one-bedroom apartments, with tenancy and lifeskills support led by Two Saints.
Loddon Homes with the support of Wokingham Borough Council submitted a grant application through Homes England for over £500,000 to partially fund the purchase of the four properties. The approved funding was provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of a national campaign to tackle rough sleeping in the U.K.
As a long-term approach to preventing homelessness in the area, the partnership between Wokingham Borough Council, Loddon Homes and Two Saints, is designed to provide specialist support for residents to maintain their tenancy and ultimately find a permanent home. Rebuilding the lives of the most vulnerable in the borough and helping them to enjoy a future away from the streets is the collective objective.
Two Saints already provide an outreach service to rough sleepers within Wokingham, commissioned by Wokingham Borough Council. Regional Director, Kate Gladders said of this new initiative; “We are excited to be working in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council, to support people with a history of rough sleeping, to sustain safe, quality accommodation”.
David Hunter, Chair of the Loddon Homes Board, agrees with prevention being the focus; “We are delighted to be taking our first steps towards homelessness prevention. Working collaboratively with Wokingham Borough Council and Two Saints means we are able to not only offer much needed accommodation, but also essential access to long-term housing support”.
Residents will begin to move into the properties from 23 August onwards.