From the NHS press release 9th December 2010 (read it here)
“In the coming year, Housing Link aims to target more people who are experiencing difficulties and who may not have been in contact with mental health services.”
That was 9th December…..
……on 22nd December the Housing Link Team were informed that The Council is proposing to close the Housing Link service on 12th January. There has been no consultation, and service users will have no opportunity to make their own views known before the decision is taken.
Housing Link is a Council service working with people with mental health problems. It is a crisis service for mentally ill tenants who are about to be evicted, helping them to maintain their homes. The service also works with homeless inpatients at Mile End Hospital, helping them find accommodation so they are not discharged to the street. They are a frontline team working with one of the most vulnerable groups in the borough.
Supporting People, who provide half the funding, reviewed Housing Link in May 2010, and found that the team has important strategic relevance, providing an essential service that is not met by other teams. Housing Link’s work is crucial not just in preventing homelessness, but also in recovering thousands of pounds of rent arrears through unclaimed housing benefit.