Cornwall Housing and The Salvation Army Housing Association working in partnership to tackle homelessness
10/10/19
ST AUSTELL’S FreshStart centre is now housing people who have been sleeping rough or would otherwise be homeless over the autumn and winter months thanks to Cornwall Housing and the funding secured by Cornwall Council.
The funding started on 1 October and runs for an initial period of six months, during which the centre at 24 Truro Road will be home to up to 18 people.
FreshStart will now provide a warm and secure home for people who have a history of sleeping on the streets or are at risk of homelessness.
“I’m very pleased that The Salvation Army Housing Association (saha) will be continuing our long-standing working relationship with Cornwall Housing to provide a home for people who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of homelessness at the FreshStart centre in St Austell”, said Hugh Symons of The Salvation Army Housing Association.
“People experience homelessness for a wide variety of reasons – from unemployment to relationship and family break-ups, and it can happen to people from all walks of life. The FreshStart centre will now be supporting people who are in this position to help them rebuild their lives.”
Nick Cross, Cornwall Housing managing director added “Tackling the causes of rough sleeping and homelessness is complex and bringing together invaluable organisations like The Salvation Army Housing Association to keep centres open in areas that need them most will support those that need somewhere safe to stay.”
“No one should have to sleep rough in Cornwall or anywhere else. We believe this dedicated service can help many people start to rebuild their lives.”
Cornwall Council is supporting the initiative following a successful bid for government funding to tackle rough sleeping. Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for homes Andrew Mitchell said “Tackling rough sleeping is a complex issue. We need a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to help people who find themselves without a roof over their head. This approach has proved to be effective with official figures showing a 46% reduction in the total number of rough sleepers recorded in Cornwall between November 2016 and December 2018. We’ll continue to work with and support partners to introduce measures that will directly help people off the streets and provide them with accommodation and support.”
