Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is setting up a new homeless hub as part of a strategy to end rough sleeping in the town.

The hub will be manned 24 hours per day, and will also have round-the-clock security in place.

It's being funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund and is being designed to help the borough council meets its target of ending rough sleeping in the area by 2025.

The council says the hub will provide safe, secure emergency accommodation to ensure "no-second night out" and it will also provide a safe space for investigations and referrals.

Various partner organisations are expected to use the hub to help homeless people without requiring them to book an appointment – something which can often prevent them accessing support services.

The hub will be manned 24/7 and have round-the-clock security (LDRS).

Organisations who will have a presence at the hub will include the Department for Work and Pensions, Citizens Advice Bureau, rough sleeping services, housing providers, probation, adult social care, homeless healthcare as well as drug and alcohol services.

Cllr Gill Heesom, the council's portfolio holder for community safety and wellbeing, said: "The facility will offer support to homeless individuals, who are some of the most disadvantaged in society and experience difficulty accessing mainstream services.

"The hub will provide safe, secure accommodation and offer support from agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions, CAB, rough sleeping services, housing providers, adult social care, homeless healthcare, drug and alcohol services."

She said it would be a one-stop shop and help develop trust with people who need support, as well as helping them move on into accommodation of their own.

A search is currently underway to find a suitable property for the facility (LDRS).

The hub will provide shower facilities and a laundry, and a place where people can be clean and warm.

Council leader, Cllr Simon Tagg said: "This is ongoing support for people to help them relaunch their lives.

"There may be many reasons why they've ended up on the street, but we have a role as a council to ensure we can get people into fixed home addresses to help them relaunch their lives."

However, he raised concerns about how the new hub will be funded once the initial pot of money has been spent.

He said: "Once we've set this up, we don't want it to expire when the funding expires.

"It's ok the government saying they want to eradicate homelessness by 2025, but in the years after there will still be pressure for these services – ongoing pressure, and that will require ongoing funding.

"I think we may be writing another letter to the government in 2025 asking for funding to take this forward.

"I think it's right we deliver that on behalf of the government, as their local delivery partner here in Newcastle, but we can't afford that through the funds we currently have – given budgetary constraints which are affecting all local authorities."

The council hopes the new hub will reduce anti-social behaviour associated with rough sleeping in the town and that this will lead to an increase in footfall to support local businesses.

It also hopes it will lead to an improvement in the health of people who are currently sleeping rough, and reduce pressure on police and health services.

A search is currently underway to find a suitable property for the facility.

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