Wolverhampton Council is highlighting the importance of prevention and early intervention to combat homelessness in the city.

The cost of living crisis has created several challenges, including higher inflation and interest rates, with increasing prices making housing less affordable.

The council and its homelessness partners are therefore urging residents to seek advice at the earliest opportunity to maintain their current housing and have established a five-step approach to help achieve this:

• Don’t leave things too late – take steps as early as possible to keep your home.
• Have you spoken to your landlord, mortgage lender, etc. about your situation?
• Make sure you get advice from established organisations.
• Your current home may not be what you want however, if it’s safe and affordable it will work for now.
• In the event you lose your home, have you looked at other options including private renting?

Tailored advice is available any time of the day or night, via Advice Aid on people’s smart phones, tablets and computers.

Visit https://wolverhampton.adviceaid.uk/start to search a range of topics about housing or homelessness, answer questions specific to your circumstances, and print, email or share with family or friends.

People can use the public computers available at the Civic Centre or their local library.

Councillor Steve Evans, Cabinet Member for City Housing, said: “The cost of living crisis has brought about an increased demand for support and assistance for those who have become homeless or are in danger of being made homeless.

“It is critical that we raise awareness of how people can help themselves before they get to breaking point and we are working closely with our city partners to signpost our residents to a host of advice and support that is available.

"This prevention work is also backed up by our Rent with Confidence framework and approach which gives people information about the standard of and management of the private rented accommodation they move into, and also helps the council to identify suitable properties where people can feel secure about their future.”