North unitary agrees new plan to tackle homelessness
The pandemic's Everybody In initiative may have sparked a catalyst for change
The North unitary council’s executive has approved a new plan to reduce rough sleeping across the area.
The government has awarded the authority £737,000 this financial year to put in place actions to help reduce the number of people living on the streets.
The plan will see 18 officers working across the area to alleviate homelessness, which includes specialist staff to help with addiction issues and unemployment, plus there will be a boost to the number of accommodation units available to put people up.
Currently the authority owns and runs a night shelter in Dorking Walk, Corby, which in current Covid times can put a roof over the heads of nine people.
The authority is also putting in a bid for capital funding from the government to create a new ten-bed supported accommodation facility in Wellingborough.
Everybody In
When the pandemic hit the government launched the Everybody In initiative in March 2020, which saw most rough sleepers housed in temporary accommodation.
The report to the ex…