CHESHIRE West and Chester will be one of 20 councils to benefit from increased funding to boost housing and employment advice options for residents.
The news comes after the government revealed the winners of the second round of the Enhanced Housing Option Trailblazer programme.
The successful joint proposal from Chester City, Vale Royal and Ellesmere Port and Neston Councils and Chester & District Housing Trust, has secured an estimated £240,000 over two years to develop housing advice services, making links to employment advice, and giving local residents more personalised information about the range of housing options available to them.
The scheme offers a range of advice to people looking for housing, whether it is helping them to stay in their own homes or in social, private rented or shared ownership homes. The personalised advice service will take into account the person’s individual circumstances to ensure they make the best choice for their specific circumstances.
The funding will be allocated from April 2009 when Cheshire West and Chester Council takes over reponsibility for local government in the area.
Cheshire West and Chester Council will work with the other successful authorities to develop a toolkit of good practice to be disseminated to all local authorities.
Cheshire West and Chester portfolio holder for prosperity, Councillor Herbert Manley said: “I congratulate the district councils and CDHT on securing these funds which will help people make an informed decision when choosing where to live and what sort of home best suits their circumstances.’
The new council’s Homelessness Champion, Councillor Jill Houlbrook said: “This comes at a time when we are building our homelessness strategy and is indeed good news. Lots of hard work went into securing this funding and I’d like to thank everyone involved for their dedication. In my champion role, I look forward ensuring we can make a difference across the new authority.”
Dave Shaw, CDHT executive manager customer & Housing Access, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to develop stronger links with housing providers and employment opportunities across the new authority. This funding provides the Trust and new authority with a platform to work with other agencies to develop client- centred approaches, which meet our customers housing, future employment and personal aspirations.
“This agreement partners Cheshire West and Chester Council with CDHT, which is the largest stock transfer housing association in the new authority and makes sure that all the organisations are working towards a common goal.”
