Accommodation for 28 people is being made available in Banbury to prevent rough sleeping

Cherwell District Council has entered a partnership in a bid to ensure those with nowhere to sleep may access an alternative to rough sleeping. Picture by Getty

The council has teamed up with Homeless Oxfordshire and Sanctuary Housing to secure 28 new units of accommodation to prevent rough sleeping. It means that people needing specialist services no longer have to travel to Oxford but instead can receive the help they need in their local area.

Councillor Lucinda Wing, Lead Member for Housing, said: “Everyone deserves a roof over their head and we know that there is a higher than usual number of people applying to the housing register at the moment.

“Our ambition is that no-one should have to sleep rough in our district and thanks to this new deal with our partners, we are able to widen the local safety net that is in place.”

As well as homes for people needing direct support, the deal also covers affordable rented units. People can be referred to the units if they are at risk of losing their home, or by the homelessness outreach service if they are already sleeping rough.

Bill Feeney, Interim CEO at Homeless Oxfordshire said: “Homeless Oxfordshire is delighted to continue to work closely with Cherwell District Council, providing much needed accommodation for people who find themselves homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“From experience we know people thrive much better in their own communities and we absolutely agree that more of a focus on prevention, intervention and recovery is a positive step forward.”

To access information about the housing register, help for landlords, the tenancy relations officer, homelessness support and other housing services, visit cherwell.gov.uk/housing

Residents with concerns about someone sleeping rough should make a report using StreetLink, the national notification service: streetlink.org.uk