Seven homes earmarked for those ‘at risk’ of sleeping on the streets
SEVEN homes in the Swadlincote area are to be used to house local people who are “at risk of sleeping rough”.
The project is aimed at keeping people who are often without a home in a property with sufficient support so that they do not return to a life on the streets.
Under the scheme, South Derbyshire District Council is putting forward three of its own homes and housing association Trent & Dove is to buy and upgrade the remaining four properties in Swadlincote.
District council papers show the authority is to put forward nearly half a million pounds to support the project, with the housing association and Government grants supporting the overall costs over the next two years.
A report on the issue, discussed this week, says: “Using existing council-owned properties as part of this project will allow for vulnerable tenants in the community to receive a higher degree of support than would ordinarily be provided.
“This support is aimed at growing their independence and ability to sustain their tenancy.”
The council says South Derbyshire has “historically” recorded “low levels” of rough sleeping – with between zero and two rough sleepers reported on annual surveys carried out each November.
It says: “It has been recognised… through day-to-day contact with customers that there are a number of applicants (for council housing) that are repeat users of homelessness services. In some cases these applicants are successful in obtaining temporary and sometimes permanent accommodation.
“Unfortunately they often do not have the ability or means to sustain this accommodation which ultimately means that they not only lose their home but also make it more difficult to rejoin the Housing Register.”
It says each resident in the seven proposed homes in the Swadlincote area would include support from qualified staff and will be encouraged to grow their independence and “ability to sustain a tenancy”.
The authority says residents would be offered permanent tenancies if they manage to sustain a successful tenancy. If a permanent council tenancy is offered, an additional home would be added to the project.
It says there are currently 189 single people on its housing waiting list, of which 83 are aged between 18 and 35, and 106 who are aged between 36 and 60, while three people are in temporary accommodation without an identified “move-on option”.
The council gave three anonymised examples of people in the area who may be assisted by the project.
COUNCIL-LED SCHEME IN THE SOUTH OF COUNTY AIMED AT
Its first case study involved a 39-year-old man currently staying at a hostel.
He is a Type 1 diabetic, but he is said not to manage his condition well, despite offers of support, and “makes excuses” for not taking medications and it is claimed “there seems to be no taking of control or responsibility”.
He has no contact with his family.
The man approached the council for a home after being evicted by the YMCA in October, where he had been housed since May. Following a hospital admission for a drug overdose he was left homeless, with the YMCA not willing to accept him back due to his behaviour.
He has used services for several years and has continued to use drugs, but will not accept support for this, the report says.
The report says the man in question is “going to be difficult to rehouse as he is a hoarder and does not take care of his own needs very well.
“He does not eat properly, and personal hygiene is an issue”.
It says the hostel feels the man is unable to manage a tenancy on his own and will “always” need some support, saying he will “avoid” and “refuse” support, when offered it.
The report claims the man “frequently toileted in his room” and that the carpets and mattress in his room had to be thrown out and the room deep-cleaned after his eviction.
The report says the man had been “abusive” to staff in hospital and had taken drug overdoses and been sectioned and placed in hospital due to mental health concerns several times in the past.
It says he previously committed 26 criminal offences, many of which relate to assault, but is not currently under any probation restrictions.
The second case study involved a 36-year-old man who is currently staying in his mother’s shed, the report details.
He is said to have several mental health conditions including a personality disorder, depression and anxiety.
The man has some mobility issues due to a motorbike accident in his youth.
The report said he had stayed with them on six previous occasions but failed his tenancy due to suspected drug-dealing, antisocial behaviour, damage to property and taking in lodgers.
The report says he has addictions to heroin, crack cocaine, mamba and cannabis.
It claims he was asked to leave a hotel in Burton after one night for running around the property naked and causing a “huge” amount of damage to his room.
The report says the man is currently part of a trial into alleged theft and has a sexual offence on his criminal record, with 37 convictions for 85 total criminal offences, relating to theft, possession of drugs and sexual assault.
The third case study related to a 28-year-old man whose current address is unknown, but has family connections in South Derbyshire.
The man is said to have been admitted into a psychiatric unit in 2016 for schizophrenia and “his mental health has continued to be up and down with numerous stays at the Radbourne Unit”, the report says.
The report details that the man “often loses the accommodation due to his behaviour”.
The man is said to be a longterm drug user of Class A substances including a “cocktail” of heroin and crack cocaine, the report says, and is a “prolific” criminal.