A North-West landlord has teamed up with Knowsley Council to provide support to help people as young as 16 keep their homes.
The council has awarded ForHousing a contract to deliver vital short-term housing related support for people living in their own accommodation that may need help to sustain their tenancy and live independently, regardless of the type of tenancy they have. The scheme specifically supports people battling problems such as mental health issues or addiction and who have a history of homelessness.
ForHousing’s Tenants Extra Support Service, called TESS for short, will work with 115 Knowsley residents who are in need of support to sustain their tenancy to prevent homelessness or need support to move on from the borough’s emergency homelessness accommodation.
People referred to the service will receive up to six months of support which will include advice and direct help to gain the skills to live independently, from budgeting and debt management to coaching on life skills. If previous tenancies have ended due to rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, mental or physical health issues or substance misuse, whether alcohol or drugs, tailored help will be put in place.
ForHousing has been running a tenancy support service more widely in Knowsley for the past 20 years. It is open to any Knowsley resident, so you don’t have to be a ForHousing tenant to be eligible. The service is also open to people that own their own home.
Other areas the team assist with include help with applying for benefits, advice on rent arrears, access to food banks, training and job opportunities.
The landlord, who owns and manages more than 24,000 houses across the North West, puts tenants at the heart of everything they do to give everyone the best chance at life.
Colette McKune MBE, ForHousing CEO, said: “We recognise that many people have multiple and complex issues impacting on their daily lives and we will overcome any barrier or challenges faced by being flexible in our approach and delivering person-centred support that focuses on people’s strengths.
“We are delighted to partner with Knowsley Council to help make sure no-one falls through the cracks and becomes homeless again, but instead gets the personalised support they need. We are dedicated to tackling homelessness, making more things possible for more people and strengthening communities.”
A Knowsley Council spokesperson said: “Supporting our residents, when they need it most, is a fundamental part of what we do, and we are really pleased to be working with ForHousing on this initiative. We know that people can face really complex challenges in their lives and this targeted programme will hopefully provide that additional support at a crucial time.”
Header image shows the ForHousing Tenancy Sustainment Team.
