Sussex Housing & Care supports #startsathome day
Sussex Housing & Care is using national ‘Starts at Home’ day today to celebrate the vital difference supported housing makes to thousands of people daily, having helped secure a major campaign win from Government to ensure they have secure and stable funding in the long term to support local residents.
‘Starts at Home’ day celebrates the help hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people receive to gain their independence and confidence through supported housing. Now in its third year, it is run by the National Housing Federation, which represents social landlords to around 6 million people.
These vital schemes provide homes for older people and people with disabilities to live independently. They also include emergency refuge and support for victims of domestic violence to help stabilise and rebuild their lives, accommodation and support for homeless people from veterans and refugees – moving them from life on the street into a settled home, education, training or employment, and much more.
Sussex Housing & Care's support for this national campaign day comes as the Government announced two weeks ago that they would continue to fund short term supported housing through the benefits system, ending the uncertainty surrounding the housing costs for supported housing after years of Government proposals and consultations.
Sussex Housing & Care is now joining the National Housing Foundation and its members, in continuing to celebrate and protect these housing schemes to ensure that every person in Sussex who needs extra support has a home to turn to.
Residents Kath and Roy from Crowborough said: "We lived in a static caravan for a year and couldn't keep the payments up to buy it so we needed housing help. The caravan wasn't big enough and the living space was too small. We were left with very little money.
We were offered to live at Nevill Court in Crowborough and moved in 10 years ago. We have recently moved to another of Sussex Housing & Care's properties in Crowborough called The Rowans which is a fairly new property. I absolutely love this flat, it's so roomy. I finally have my own bedroom after 14 years which I very much needed due to Roy's deterioration in health. I have my own space and it helps me tremendously.
We enjoy the social activities here and everyone is so friendly, it's a real community."