The Homeless Taskforce
The Homeless Task Force was established as a project under the Faith and Public Life department of the Archbishops’ Council, following a unanimous vote at General Synod to tackle homelessness.
The purpose of the HTF is to prevent homelessness through provision of affordable rented housing, and operates by sourcing private sector expertise and assistance from selected individuals or companies whose ethos ties in with the vision and values of the Coming Home report.
The HTF is led by Andrew Gray, and up to now they have been exploring different financial models to maximise the chances of providing homes for the most vulnerable. This has involved holding a roundtable with major homeless charities to understand the challenges in the sector.
Increasingly, the HTF is involved in bringing together local stakeholders to deliver pilot projects such as three small homes that provide ‘move-on’ accommodation for working people who have been in supported housing but are now ready to live independently. This pilot project utilises an old church hall in Ipswich.
The HTF has also explored feasibility studies for a number of projects. This has included running desktop appraisals, e.g. for the re-development of a redundant community building to deliver around 30 new homes including specialist accommodation for former service personnel. The aim of delivering affordable homes is part of broader homelessness prevention efforts.
It is intended to bring forward pilot projects with a view to expanding similar initiatives elsewhere.