Mayoral candidate pledges task force to deal with rough sleepers

WEST Midlands Mayoral candidate Andy Street has pledged to launch a Task Force to tackle rough sleeping, if elected.
 
Led by the Mayor, the Task Force will bring together the public, private and charity sector organisations that have a role in preventing rough sleeping.
 
In addition to charities and frontline organisations that work directly with rough sleepers in the region’s towns and cities, the Task Force will involve groups involved in housing, addiction and rehabilitation of offenders.
 
Crucially, it will engage businesses, who have a key part to play in finding solutions to the challenge, while exploring new ways of generating funds to address this.
 
Mr Street said: “The issue of rough sleeping on our streets in towns and cities across the West Midlands is completely unacceptable and shames us as a region.
 
“There is also an important economic point as it reflects badly on our towns and cities as places to do business and is a barrier to investment.
 
“This is why I am committing to leading a Mayoral Task Force. I want the public to be assured that everything is being done to tackle this issue.”
 
He said the announcement that Birmingham and Solihull are to be pilots for the Government’s ‘trailblazer’ programme was very welcome and his proposal would build on this.
 
“The thrust of this is coordinating across all players who have a role in finding a solution. The secret to success will be an integrated approach focusing on prevention and supporting those who work directly with rough sleepers,” he added.
 
“Everybody agrees the work done by a host of charities in the West Midlands and staff on the front line helping homeless and vulnerable people is nothing short of phenomenal.
 
“We need to support that work while putting greater emphasis on prevention, to stop people slipping through the net in the first place.”
 
He said this linked into wider housing issues facing the region, together with issues such as addiction, rehabilitation of offenders and mental health services – also the support offered to former military personnel.
 
“The Task Force would involve organisations involved in each of these. That simply does not happen well enough, especially for mature adults,” he said.
 
“Of course, there is the issue of funding. This is a challenge right across the board. I want to explore the appetite in the private sector around contributing expertise and resource. Similarly, we will examine the alternative giving methods used successfully elsewhere.
 
“The Mayoral role has to focus on economic issues, but the new role will also be defined by its determination to address the most pressing social issues and this is one of those.”