On 26th June, partners from across Bury came together for our latest Homeless Partnership event, with a strong focus on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and collaborative approaches to preventing and relieving homelessness.
The session opened with an insightful presentation from Bury Council’s Housing Team, who outlined service and spend updates.
Bury Council’s Private Rented Sector Team presented their current PRS offer. Their presentation highlighted a range of practical solutions currently being delivered to support people into safe and secure homes. Including, the recent onboarding of 19 single units and 8 family units, which are now moving forward to the tender stage. As well as the offer to support individuals experiencing or at-risk of homelessness obtain private rented properties through landlord incentives.
Next, Public Protection provided an important update on recent legislative changes affecting landlords and empty homes, helping partners stay informed and compliant with evolving regulations.
We then heard from Calico’s Floating Support Team, who shared the breadth of their holistic, wrap-around support for individuals struggling in their tenancies. Their presentation included a heartwarming success story, highlighting the real-life impact of compassionate, person-centred support.
Our newly appointed Chair, Mike Holmes (Project Manager at Caritas Red Door), shared feedback from the recent review of the Bury Homeless Strategy 2022–2025, reflecting on progress made and areas for continued focus.
Finally, attendees were introduced to a new survey aimed at gathering insights from people with lived experience of homelessness. This survey will help shape the next phase of Bury’s Homeless Strategy and is open for responses from 1 July to 31 July.
We thank all our partners for their continued commitment and collaboration. Together, we are building a more responsive and inclusive approach to tackling homelessness in Bury.