Facility to tackle homelessness opens in Chelmsley Wood

A NEW development to provide short-term accommodation for people who are homeless recently opened in Chelmsley Wood.
Ipswich House, in Ipswich Walk, can house up to 21 residents and will offer support for those who find themselves in dire straits.
The £2.3million project, which was funded by Solihull Council and the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency, was not without its detractors.
When the plans were first unveiled in 2015, some living locally feared that the creation of a “halfway house” in a residential area might fuel anti social behaviour and parking problems. More than 500 people signed a petition against the scheme.
But others have argued that the development will be a lifeline at a time when homelessness is becoming an increasing problem.
A recent study by the charity Shelter suggested that some 250,000 Britons were classed as homeless.
Four years ago, the borough council came in for criticism after it emerged that many who found themselves in difficulties were being sent to sub-standard B&Bs.
Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood), who at the time led the calls for a different approach, said the local authority subsequently looked at the creation of alternative types of temporary accommodation.
He said Ipswich House went “above and beyond” in that it will provide support for those who the authorities aren’t legally obliged to help.
“It actually houses people who wouldn’t have been entitled to even a grotty B&B bed,” he told Other Side of Solihull.
Meriden’s MP, Dame Caroline Spelman, who was invited to cut the ribbon of the new centre, also hailed the improvement in services.
“There are many reasons why people find themselves homeless including; the breakdown of a relationship, financial difficulties, having to leave their homes because of domestic violence or crime and disasters like fires and flooding,” she said.
“Having recently supported measures in the House of Commons to help tackle homelessness, including the Homelessness Prevention Act, I was delighted to have the opportunity to open Ipswich House.”