Shelter and Haringey Council join forces to tackle bad housing and homelessness. An innovative new pilot scheme to prevent homelessness and tackle bad housing is launching this week, thanks to a new partnership between housing charity Shelter and Haringey Council.
The partnership, which is the first of its kind in London, aims to reduce homelessness in the borough by identifying people at risk early and working to stop them losing their home.
A Shelter adviser will also be on hand each week at the Marcus Garvey Centre, 1 Phillip Lane, to offer expert housing advice to people in the area.
Shelter was launched in 1966 in response to the chronic housing crisis gripping the country. While the charity has helped millions of families facing homelessness in the last 50 years, huge numbers of people sadly still need its support.
Ben Tovey, Shelter’s London services manager, said: “Shelter has been fighting bad housing and homelessness for 50 years, but we’ve still got lots of work to do when it comes to tackling the huge housing crisis in the Capital. We’re delighted at the opportunity to work with Haringey Council to help even more people in the area who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
“By identifying people at risk of homelessness early, this partnership will not only help save the council valuable time and resources, but most importantly it will ensure more families can stay in their homes and avoid the trauma of facing homelessness.”
Cllr Alan Strickland Haringey Council cabinet member for housing, regeneration and planning commented: “Living in poor quality housing or facing homelessness can be traumatic which is why we’re pleased to partner with Shelter to ensure residents know where to turn if they face this stressful situation. This is a free service and I would encourage anyone worried about becoming homeless to speak to a Shelter representative at the Marcus Garvey Library as soon as possible and get the best advice.
“This new service complements the homelessness prevention advice provided by Homes for Haringey, which manages council housing and homelessness in the borough, by providing an earlier, extra opportunity for those with concerns about homelessness to seek help and support.”
Shelter’s London services help thousands of people facing bad housing and homelessness each year.
