A man who faced homelessness after his life became "traumatic" has hailed a new scheme as a "life-saver".
In an effort to reduce homelessness in the borough, a landlord has teamed up with Knowsley council to provide support to people as young as 16 to help keep their homes. The scheme specifically supports people battling problems such as mental health issues or addiction and who have a history of homelessness.
The council has awarded ForHousing a contract to deliver vital short term housing related support for people living in their own accommodation that may need help to sustain their tenancy and live independently, regardless of the type of tenancy they have. ForHousing’s Tenants Extra Support Service is called TESS for short.
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One service user said they have been helped already after their life was turned upside down. They added: "Lyndsey Lee from the TESS team has played a very big part in ‘saving’ me. Following the death of my father and mother within just a few years of each other, my life became traumatic, filled with uncontrollable worrying and immense sadness.
"I had to ‘fight the system’ to prevent myself becoming homeless. Lyndsey not only offered me accommodation support, moral support and experienced advice, she also gave me a vast amount of her time, genuinely listened and showed that she cared.
"Lyndsey’s sincerity helped to ease my emotional weaknesses and really went above and beyond to help me. Lyndsey is a hero."
The team will work with 115 Knowsley residents who are in need of support to sustain their tenancy to prevent homelessness or need support to move on from the borough’s emergency homelessness accommodation. People referred to the service will receive up to six months of support which will include advice and direct help to gain the skills to live independently, from budgeting and debt management to coaching on life skills.
If previous tenancies have ended due to rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, mental or physical health issues or substance misuse, whether alcohol or drugs, tailored help will be put in place. It is open to any Knowsley resident, so you don't have to be a ForHousing tenant to be eligible and is also open to people that own their own home.
Colette McKune MBE, ForHousing CEO, said: "We recognise that many people have multiple and complex issues impacting on their daily lives and we will overcome any barrier or challenges faced by being flexible in our approach and delivering person-centred support that focuses on people’s strengths. We are delighted to partner with Knowsley Council to help make sure no-one falls through the cracks and becomes homeless again, but instead gets the personalised support they need."
A Knowsley Council spokesperson added: "Supporting our residents, when they need it most, is a fundamental part of what we do, and we are really pleased to be working with ForHousing on this initiative. We know that people can face really complex challenges in their lives and this targeted programme will hopefully provide that additional support at a crucial time."
