#WorldHomelessDay 2020

• 7th October 2020

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If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness:

Please contact your local authority in the first instance. If you are in Walsall Borough, this is Walsall Council. They will advise you about securing your current accommodation or making alternative provision.

You should register with our choose & move service at the same time. whg will refer our customers who are at risk of becoming homeless, and those living with them, to the local authority. We will also refer people we come into contact with through any of the other services we offer.

whg is urging customers worried about losing their homes to get in touch with them as part of World Homeless Day.

The leading Midlands landlord is reminding customers that there is a wealth of support on offer to help those who are struggling to pay their rent or manage their tenancy, as part of the worldwide event, which takes place on October 10.

whg has done a huge amount of work over the last few years to sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness. The housing association has an ambition to not evict anyone into homelessness, and over the last three years has reduced the number of evictions by 35%.

Corporate Director Fay Shanahan said: “The coronavirus has had a huge financial impact on households, with job losses and a reduced income meaning many people are struggling to meet their rent payments. We have our own in-house Employment and Skills team who can help support customers back into work. We also have a great team of money advisors who can help customers tackle debt issues and make sure that they are getting all of the benefits that they are entitled to.

“Early intervention is key. We are urging all of our customers who are finding things hard to not wait until they are at crisis point before they get in touch. The sooner someone comes to talk to us, the more we can do to help sustain their tenancy and prevent them from losing their home.

“We are also proud of our work strategically with partners; recognising that resolving homelessness is not something that any one organisation can achieve on their own. We work closely with our local authority partners and health organisations to identify and support local initiatives to further prevent and resolve homelessness.”

Just over a year ago whg pledged 40 homes for rough sleepers in Walsall to support Walsall Council, who are one of the seven local authorities to participate in the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Housing First pilot. Housing First aims to help people off the streets and into their own accommodation.

To contact whg ring 0300 555 6666, use My whg or email enquiries@whgrp.co.uk