Keeping Homeless People in East Suffolk Safe

East Suffolk Council is ensuring homeless people in the district can keep safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a response to the public health emergency and the government’s request, East Suffolk Council has placed 26 homeless people in emergency accommodation to prevent them from sleeping rough at this unprecedented time.

The emergency accommodation consists of social housing stock, self-contained hotel rooms and private housing which has been furnished with the essentials, including furniture, white goods and food parcels.

The social housing stock became available when the Gateway to Homechoice scheme, which gives residents the opportunity to bid for council and social housing properties, was suspended last month due to COVID-19. This enabled the Council to use vacant housing stock to temporarily accommodate homeless people, keeping them safe during the outbreak.

The quick response to the government’s request was made possible by the Council’s Housing Needs, Tenancy Services and Repairs and Maintenance teams, who worked together closely, supported by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to ensure that homeless people were allocated vacant accommodation at short notice.

For more information about what to do if you, or someone you know, is at risk of becoming homeless during the COVID-19 outbreak, please go online and go tot eastsuffolk.gov.uk – and search for housing-needs

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