Hello, and welcome to my latest blog.
They say time flies when you’re having fun and that’s why it’s hard to believe that the summer is almost over and we are quickly moving into Autumn!
There has been so much going on over the last couple of months and I wanted to share some highlights with you.
As you are probably aware, the Greater Manchester Housing First pilot currently ends on March 2022 and there has been so much support for us around our continuation.
The Mayors from each of the pilot regions held a very powerful event to highlight the amazing work of the three programmes and to ask Government to continue to fund the three pilots while decisions are made regarding a national rollout.
The event was well attended, including the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Eddie Hughes MP who also spoke positively about what we have achieved and Housing First as an effective solution towards ending homelessness.
Mr Hughes was also at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness meeting, which has also recommended to Government that the pilots be funded beyond their end dates and becomes central to the homelessness strategy going forward.
We have had a lot of great publicity highlighting the cliff edge for people should the programme not continue and again praising the success of the work
These include the Manchester Evening News, The Guardian and Inside Housing.
On top of this, we were delighted to premiere our new film “The power of partnerships” which highlights the power of the GM Housing First pilot and the incredible work being done by the people on it. Click HERE to watch the film.
I would like to thank our amazing and very brave people on the programme who have contributed to the film and all the media articles, Ash, Lisa, Katie, Michelle and Sarah.
I can’t thank you enough for sharing your stories and experience of Housing First has helped enormously in our work to make this an option for everyone who wants and needs it in the future.
A massive thank you also to all the other interviewees who gave their time to take part in the filming. We have several films planned over the coming months so keep your eyes peeled.
We recently have had the second interim process report which is a great read, lots of learning in there that we can share across the three pilots and it also highlights our successes and the importance of partnerships and relationships at every level.
We have been shortlisted for a Housing Heroes award in the Support and care team of the year category. We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this and a number of us from across the partnership are lucky enough to be going to the event on Tuesday, September 7 when winners will be announced. Finger crossed
Finally, I will be speaking at the Housing 2021 conference about the virtues of the pilot which is attended by stakeholders and policy influencers so I may see you there.
Thanks for reading
Martine