A new partnership is helping the London Borough of Harrow to tackle homelessness and give local families in need a fresh start.
Harrow has been working with innovative social enterprise, Beam, since August. Already it has helped ten homeless families to find suitable long-term accommodation and is working with many more. Its clients also include prison-leavers, who face particular challenges.
Beam offers one-to-one casework support, tailored to each family’s needs. This includes help with budgeting and employment support, as well vital assistance with house-hunting.
London Borough of Harrow’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Mina Parmar, said:
Temporary housing leaves families in a precarious situation. It limits potential and affects quality of life.
We’re keen to explore any approach that can unlock this difficult situation and give homeless families the promise of a better future. Beam’s work brings sustainable housing within reach of its clients and has the clear potential to transform many more local lives.
Uniquely, Beam supports its clients through an online community, which connects people with sources of support and public fundraising. This award-winning model harnesses the power of community action and technology to help people overcome barriers, improve their wellbeing, and develop the skills they need to live and work independently.
Alex Stephany, Founder and CEO of Beam, said:
Beam is using technology alongside human-centred casework to support families living in temporary accommodation in Harrow, into stable homes.
It’s encouraging to see forward-thinking councils like Harrow investing in sustainable and innovative solutions to the homelessness crisis, and we’re proud and excited to be working with them.
Since it was founded in 2017, Beam's one-to-one caseworker support and crowdfunding provision has enabled more than 3,000 people to secure stable work and housing.
Beam is currently working with more than 70 local authorities across the UK. In Harrow it aims to provide support to 50 families to help them out of temporary accommodation and to 18 homeless people with prison records to help them find sustainable tenancies.
Find out more about its work at beam.org.