Two innovative projects which help east Suffolk residents in housing need have been shortlisted for prestigious national awards.
Led by East Suffolk Council’s Housing Service, both the East Suffolk Stepping Home project and a project to bring empty homes back into use have been shortlisted for this year’s National Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) Service Awards, which celebrate the best in local government frontline services.
Shortlisted for the Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative, the Stepping Home project is delivered by the Council’s Warm Homes Healthy People team and addresses housing issues which may delay a patient’s discharge from hospital, or which increase the risk of an avoidable hospital admission.
Additionally, the Council’s work to bring empty and neglected homes back into use has been shortlisted for the Best Housing, Regeneration or New Build Initiative. The Council’s Private Sector Housing Team actively monitors and reviews empty properties in the district and encourages owners to bring them back into use wherever possible. As part of this work, the team identified two problematic empty properties in Lowestoft, one of which had been neglected for more than 20 years. The Council then bought and transformed these derelict buildings into much-needed homes.
Cllr Richard Kerry, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Housing said: “Over 260 nominations were received from organisations across the country and so it is a great achievement to be shortlisted twice. Our Housing Team works tirelessly to help people in housing need and I am delighted to see these two innovative housing schemes chosen as finalists for these competitive national awards.”
The APSE Service Awards ceremony takes place online on 16th December.
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