Support available for residents with housing issues

A Wakefield Council scheme set up to direct residents with various housing issues swiftly to the help and support they need has now received 1,000 referrals.

The Wakefield Healthy Housing Pathway connects individuals or families with support for issues such as high energy bills, broken heating or hot water systems, poor or hazardous housing conditions and problems with private landlords.

The project launched in July 2022 and was created to make accessing housing services as easy as possible for residents and referring agencies.

Residents have been referred to the Council via the Healthy Housing Pathway by various organisations across the Wakefield district, with 113 referrals coming from local NHS services. However, the largest number of enquiries were received directly from residents via information from the Council’s channels and through Council staff who actively promoted the service.

Of those contacting the Council via the Healthy Housing Pathway, 38% were households with children and another 38% came from residents with ongoing illnesses or health related conditions.

Council officers have visited 60 private rented homes where they’ve found 180 hazardous defects, including issues with damp and mould, broken heating, and trip hazards, that have been safely rectified.

So far, 83 households have benefitted from improved heating systems and insulation measures installed by Council schemes. And 77 homes were helped by Money Smart to better manage their debt and maximise their income, with many receiving assistance from the Energy Debt Fund.

Wakefield Council has an online application form on its website where residents and referrers can apply for information, help or support. Visit www.wakefield.gov.uk/healthy-housing or email healthyhousing@wakefield.gov.uk