‘Working with Homewards to eradicate homelessness has led to further international opportunities’ – Sheffield Cllr Tom Hunt

Sheffield City Council Leader, Cllr Tom Hunt, speaks about the Council joining the International Mayors Council on Homelessness, and how being involved with a partnership like Homewards helped bring a new opportunity.

Our aim is to end homelessness – and we are now part of a global group of cities working to make that happen.

Joining the International Mayors Council on Homelessness will allow us to share the work we are doing in Sheffield and learn from other global cities, as we are one of only four British cities chosen to take part.
We were invited to join because of our involvement in the Homewards initiative. Over the last year, working with The Royal Foundation, the Homewards Sheffield Coalition has been formed. Sheffield City Council joins healthcare providers, mental health services, our city’s two universities, local businesses and grassroots community organisations. Crucially, the coalition has representation from those with lived experience of homelessness.

When Prince William attended a Homewards event in Burngreave in Sheffield last year, it was a powerful and moving experience to hear people who have experienced homelessness telling him about their lives. Their experiences are central to our work to tackle homelessness.

The collaborative approach is already working. Homewards is focusing on getting people the help they need before they lose their homes. To put it simply, a critical factor to ending homelessness is to stop people becoming homeless in the first place.

We also know a key priority is more homes. Over the next 15 years, the Council is committed to providing 36,000 new homes to meet the needs of a growing population.

Our goal is to end homelessness in our city – making it rare, brief and unrepeated. Working with Homewards and the International Mayors Council on Homelessness can help achieve that.