ClwydAlyn is proud to support this year’s Housing Matters Campaign.
ClwydAlyn has joined Community Housing Cymru and Cymorth Cymru in their call on Welsh Government to increase the Housing Support Grant (HSG) in its budget for 2024/25.
The HSG is Welsh Government’s principal funding stream for preventing homelessness and supporting independent living. Every year, the services that the grant funds help more than 60,000 people to avoid homelessness, escape abuse, live in their own homes and thrive in their communities.
ClwydAlyn runs 14 supported living schemes across Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, along with ClwydAlyn’s Women’s Aid a domestic abuse refuge. Between the 1st April 22 and 31st March 23, its supported living services helped 1229 residents including 142 children. ClwydAlyn’s supported living schemes and services are designed to meet the needs of people who need additional support, such as people with mental health issues, addiction issues, people at risk of domestic violence or teenage parents. Some schemes and services are designed for people who need support to live independently. Others are short-term and designed to help people acquire the emotional and practical skills needed to move on into more mainstream housing.
During 22/23 ClwydAlyn’s supported living services helped:
- 75 supported living residents move into a permanent home
- 19 entered full-time employment
- 27 attended a course or took on an apprenticeship
- 34 signed up to college or university courses
How has living in supported living helped you?
We spoke to Neil who lives in one of our supported living services in Flint and asked him a few questions about his time with us:
I felt scared anxious just the unknown of what was happening to me with living with mum and dad all for all my life, apart from roughly two years.
To help look after myself, learning to cook, keeping myself safe, making new relationships and how lonely the world can be on your own with no friends.
They talk to me all the time asking if I’m okay, respect me, I got very anxious in day-to-day situations, the team have encouraged me to get involved with other agencies and always respect my views and wishes.
Meeting good new people. Being in a friendly environment and gaining experience and confidence.
It’s massive because the worst place in the world would be homeless with nowhere to go as I have experienced.
Having my own place and letting only the people in that I want to let in.
That places like Greenbank Villas are very much needed to keep people off the streets and safe.
The latest research across homelessness and housing support services shows that the current lack of funding is negatively affecting service delivery, and services are no longer able to withstand cuts. Ultimately, this means that there is now a very real risk of service collapse if there is no increase in HSG funding.
The research found that if there is no increase in funding:
- 77% of support providers are likely to reduce capacity in their services;
- 40% are likely to hand back existing contracts;
- 67% are likely not to bid for new or re-tendered contracts.
As Welsh Government makes key decisions about its budget for 2024/25, the message from our sector is clear: services desperately need a funding injection to ensure that the tens of thousands of people who rely on vital housing support services are able to get the crucial help they need.