Homeless project helps more than 120 find homes

A 12-month pilot scheme has helped 122 people who were homeless or at risk of homlessness into stable accommodation.

City of Wolverhampton Council said its Winter Pressures Fund had worked with private landlords and local charities to tackle the housing need.

The fund offers financial support, including housing deposits and rent in advance and works with those it helps to make sure they can remain tenants.

The council said due to the success of the project, it would be funded for another year under the name "Move on and Prevention Service".

It said of those 122 people assisted, 99 were homeless and another 23 had been at risk of becoming homeless.

It worked with The Good Shepherd charity as well as P3, The Haven, and Wolverhampton Homes.

One of the landlords to get involved Raj Matharu now provides homes for eight individuals through the project.

She said she had been working with Good Shepherd for some time and believed "their support makes a real difference".

Helping people in this way could have its challenges, she said, but she praised the council team for its support.

She added: "I'm pleased the project has been able to support so many people out of homelessness, and I'm proud to be part of that."

Rich O'Leary, homelessness prevention team leader at Good Shepherd, said: "This project shows what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared goal."

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