An article in the local media about a homeless man living in a tent on derelict land in Spalding prompted me to look at homelessness in our district and I note that a bill has recently been set before Parliament to make local authorities do more for our homeless and street sleepers.
Last month I was privileged to be shown round the operation of a group called Framework, in Spalding and Holbeach that tries to help homeless people who desperately want to get back into society, into work and to live like normal people. Framework do this by providing short term emergency accommodation in simple rooms for three months and then basic flats for a further three.
When that period is over the organisation tries to find them rented flats in the private or public sectors. Help and support is provided at all stages by a team of dedicated professionals and volunteers. Lack of long-term accommodation is presently producing a waiting list of the homeless.
Nearly all clients have direct local connections and of course carry a burden of problems, unemployment, social (including relationship breakdowns), economic, substance addiction and so on. Without this sort of help most would be a burden on society in some other way. The scheme assists them to get their lives back and ends much human misery. It fills a hole through which clients would otherwise fall.
Whilst all are eligible for housing benefits, you can’t get that unless you have a home. They have difficulties finding long term accommodation once they have been rehabilitated, since few have deposits private landlords are reluctant to help and council accommodation is in very short supply, though our housing department do try to help. It’s not a matter of huge numbers, a dozen or so small flats would make a big difference.
Given the huge numbers of new homes in South Holland, for which planning permission has been granted, it would be a wise and humane idea to build or allocate a few of them for our fellow citizens at the very bottom of the housing ladder.
Coun Paul Foyster
South Holland district councillor for Holbeach
