Gateshead Council has lodged a bid for a grant to purchase seven one-bedroom properties to accommodate rough sleepers.
Gateshead Council officers have placed a bid for funding, along with housing provider Tyne Housing Association, from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Tyne Housing Association has applied for 49% of the expected purchasing price of the properties, the remaining 51% will be paid for by the association. Tyne Housing also applied for £116,579 for staffing costs.
The seven properties will come with a support worker who will work with the occupants over two (maximum three) years to provide “holistic, intensive support” to encourage the residents to live eventually independently.
The staffing costs will be sent to the local authority before being sent to Tyne Housing. The outcome of the bid is expected to be sometime in June.
Whilst cabinet members supported the aims and objectives of the proposal some expressed a desire for advanced notification.
Michael McNestry, portfolio holder for adult social care and councillor for Chopwell and Rowlands Gill, said: “I welcome the report because it is badly needed but there is a caveat I want to put on that. If properties are purchased, the ward members are made aware because we are dealing with people with multiple problems.
“In my ward, probation put someone in a safehouse who caused absolute mayhem for people. Residents were ringing me, Coun Lynn Caffrey and Coun Dave Bradford, and we didn't have a clue who they were, where they were from, who they were.
“I do support the aims and objectives, obviously, but we need to let the ward members be aware it's in their ward or coming to their ward so we are prepared for any backlash from the community.”
According to Gateshead Council's homeslessness strategy report strategy, “over 50% of people and families in Gateshead are either managing or just coping and over 30% are in need or in vulnerable situations”.
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