A NEW emergency homeless shelter in Evesham will be created after councils across the county awarded a contract to support people at risk of homelessness to Caring for Communities and People (CCP).
Funding for the county’s single person’s and childless couple’s homeless prevention service will rise to £301,500 per year – an increase of more than £60,000.
The county-wide service has been commissioned by district councils across Worcestershire and will be jointly funded and managed by Worcestershire County Council and the district councils.
As part of the revamp, the number of emergency shelters for rough sleepers across Worcestershire will rise from two to five.
The new Evesham shelter, at a venue to be confirmed, will be among three new venues with shelters in Kidderminster and Malvern joining exisiting services in Worcester and Redditch.
CCP will open the shelters on any night when the temperature is predicted to fall to zero or below, in line with Worcestershire’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).
“Prior to awarding this contract we listened carefully to the views of local people who are or have been homeless, as well as professionals and volunteers who work in the front line to prevent homelessness,” said Coun Lynn Denham, vice chair of Worcester City Council’s communities committee.
“This county-wide service focuses firmly on early intervention to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.
“It’s important to emphasise that Worcestershire councils already fund other services which offer intensive support to existing rough sleepers, separate to this contract.”
A new centre for rough sleepers will open in September at the Salvation Army’s base in The Trinity, Worcester, following a separate award to Worcester of £242,601 from central government’s “Somewhere Safe to Stay” fund.
It will provide a new year-round night shelter with support workers on-site 24 hours a day working, to give rapid and intensive support to help people off the streets and into accommodation.
