It was a special moment to open a new supported housing project today to help homeless Rochdalians who have experienced rough sleeping.
The scheme run by Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group has converted a former office building in the heart of our town into four high quality homes for local people in real need.
In partnership with Stepping Stone Projects and Rochdale Borough Council, it will provide stable short-term accommodation with support services to help residents develop the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to get their lives back on track.
Many thanks to Charlie Norman, CEO at MSV, and Liz Varey, Assistant Director Of Operations at Stepping Stone Projects, and Daniel Meredith, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and housing, for working so hard to deliver this life-changing facility.
A big thanks too to Homes England and the Government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government department.
It was a real pleasure to grab a brew afterwards with staff at Khubsuret House, MSV’s multi-cultural retirement complex, which has been such a welcoming place for our older residents for many years.
Scheme coordinator Salma Chaudri and her team do such fabulous work, day in day out, for our older people, they’re real unsung heroes of our town. Like Councillor Sameena Zaheer, they are a tribute to the hard work that makes our communities tick.
A good home is the first step to a good life, and it’s part of my mission as MP for Rochdale to do everything I can to help tackle the awful housing crisis that has disfigured our area and our country for too long.
That’s why it was particularly pleasing to hear people welcome this week’s Budget as the best in decades for housing.
We’ve allocated an extra £1.3 bn to councils, £230 million for homelessness and rough sleeping projects, £500 million for the Affordable Homes Programme and £1bn for the household support fund and extension of discretionary housing payments.
We still have much to do, but this week has set a new direction on housing policy. And in Rochdale, what better way to celebrate it than with a new facility that helps those most in need.