July 20, 2022 11.28 am This story is over 20 months old

Plan to break cycle of homelessness for disabled rough sleepers

Special housing will be created across Lincolnshire
| Photo: Adobe Stock

A new housing scheme hopes to stop rough sleepers with special needs from ending up on the streets.

This will be Lincolnshire’s first emergency accommodation scheme specifically for those with complex and high-level needs, who often end up in a cycle of homelessness.

The district councils’ joint bid for the government-funded Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme has been approved.

North Kesteven District council is offering four sheltered housing flats at Grinter House in North Hykeham, which was recently approved for a major refurbishment.

Another six private sector housing units will be spread across Lincolnshire, with a promise of lasting for five years.

Homeless people with complex needs are particularly vulnerable as they are unable to live in shared accommodation.

“They often end up in a cycle of rough sleeping as they are unable to sustain a tenancy”, a council report into the scheme says.

Grinter House is getting its first major refurbishment in 30 years | Photo: NKDC

The joint bid was launched due to the need right across Lincolnshire, with rough sleepers sometimes appealing to multiple councils for help.

The grant will fund a full-time support worker post at Grinter House, with NKDC contributing £15,000 for another part-time post.

The North Kesteven report says that it was unable to offer more flats due to the tight timescales on the funding.

The funding will contribute around £85,000 for the private sector housing and £82,000 for the refurbishment of Grinter House.

The City of Lincoln Council and South Holland Council won’t host any of the private houses, but could nominate rough sleepers from their areas to vacancies in other councils.

North Kesteven District Council will be asked to accept their chunk of the funding at the Executive Board on Thursday.