New housing service to help the most vulnerable in West Suffolk

01 Apr 2025

A new housing service which will help vulnerable people and further West Suffolk Council’s work in preventing and reducing homelessness has been launched today.

The new West Suffolk Housing Pathway will be tailored to individual needs to help people who need support either in sustaining accommodation or to maintain independent living. 

This will include support for people with learning difficulties or mental health needs, people battling drug or alcohol addiction, homeless people and ex-offenders. It will also help people who are working but who need additional support.

Today’s launch of the new service by West Suffolk Council, follows directly on from the actions set out in its Housing, Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy, which was shaped through public engagement and adopted late last year.

Continued emphasis will be placed on homelessness prevention while also breaking the pattern of repeat homelessness that currently happens for some people. 

The new service, which is backed with £200,000 a year of funding from the council’s housing reserves, will offer three levels of support – from accommodation only through to high level care for people who have complex needs and may pose a risk to themselves and others. 

Cllr Richard O’Driscoll, Cabinet Member for Housing at West Suffolk Council said: “Through this new service we are working to further prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in West Suffolk, delivering on some of the key actions and aims set out in our Housing, Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeper strategy.

“This includes tailored housing support to people with learning difficulties, people with mental health needs, people battling to overcome drug or alcohol addiction, homeless people, people who are ex-offenders and people who are working but who need additional support.

“Crucially, as well as trying to prevent homelessness, this new service, through its tailored support, will also try to break the pattern of repeat homelessness that sadly happens for some of the people we are currently trying to help.”

The new service follows on from changes by Suffolk County Council to only fund Housing Related Support to people it has a statutory responsibility for.

While the changes to HRS were initially due to take effect on 1 April 2024, Suffolk Public Sector Leaders provided interim funding for a year to allow time for the district and borough councils to look at alternative provision.

West Suffolk Council has secured 39 beds that were previously supported with HRS.
 

---