It follows a successful bid for funding of £550,000 from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) last year, enabling the council to reinforce its Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP).
Officers across Revenues and Benefits, Homelessness and Migration, Health and Social Care and Environmental Health are now working together to holistically improve standards, implement enhanced management, empower residents to understand their rights and improve value for money for the council.
An event at Bantock House Museum and Park last week saw Supported Housing Providers come together to get advice and guidance from the council on the implications and opportunities of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Steve Evans, opened the event.
He said: “The Supported Housing Improvement Programme supports our work to ensure that some of the city’s most vulnerable residents can live in good quality housing with the support that they need to live independently and safely.
“The new Act means it is more important than ever for us to work closely with Supported Housing Providers in the city to help them better understand what is required to provide the best living standards for our residents.
“I was delighted to open the event at Bantock and meet so many Supported Housing Providers from across the city to hear from them what we can do to support.”
At the event, SUIT (Service User Involvement Team) also delivered some Legislative Theatre showing lived experience to raise awareness of the social factors involved for vulnerable people with drug and alcohol problems living in supported provision.
The SHIP team is available to support residents and Supported Housing Providers by emailing SupportedHousing-SHIP@Wolverhampton.gov.uk. For further information visit Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP).
