whg helps launch new homelessness initiative

• 29th July 2021

Corporate news

whg has teamed up with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to launch a new homelessness prevention resource.

Corporate Director of Operations Fay Shanahan joined Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street to unveil the Commitment to Collaborate (C2C) toolkit, a resource developed by the WMCA’s Homelessness Taskforce to help prevent and relieve homelessness.

Fay spoke alongside Councillor Sharon Thompson, Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods at Birmingham City Council, and Jean Templeton, Chief Executive of homeless charity St Basils, at the launch event.

She shared how the C2C toolkit has helped to support the great work whg has already been doing to support customers in sustaining their tenancies.

In 2020 whg made it its mission not to evict anyone into homelessness. In Walsall, whg has been instrumental in delivering Housing First in partnership with Walsall Council and GreenSquare Accord, which has so far provided housing and ongoing support to 100 individuals.

Fay said: “whg are proud to be leading the way in homeless prevention and are delighted to be the first organisation to complete the WMCA’s Commitment to Collaborate Award.

“We are already doing some great work to tackle homelessness in Walsall. Our eviction rates are very low and we have been instrumental in the success of Housing First project, through which we are currently housing 33 rough sleepers.

“Through the C2C toolkit we are pushing ourselves to do even more. We have identified three new pledges that will help us achieve our ambition not to evict into homelessness, supported by a comprehensive action plan that we will now implement.”