NO one is sleeping rough on the streets of Wokingham.

That’s according to Cllr John Kaiser, deputy leader of Wokingham Borough Council, who has set out an ambitious commitment to “eradicate true homelessness” by helping people find affordable homes.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Conservative-run council has provided 50 rough sleepers (including eight who are under 25) with emergency accommodation and support.

Cllr Kaiser said the council is now helping 155 homeless people in Wokingham find a new home, but no one has to sleep rough because they are being provided with temporary accommodation.

READ MORE: Number of Covid-19 cases in Wokingham ‘increasing rapidly’

“We have driven down the number of homeless, we have no rough sleepers and our housing waiting list is the lowest of our neighbours, with the number of people in real need being matched by the number of affordable homes we have built over the last few years,” he said.

His made the comments when he set out Wokingham Borough Council’s Draft Housing Strategy 2020-2024, at a council meeting on October 29.

Aims of the four-year strategy include: building 800 affordable homes, providing more housing support to vulnerable people and “improving the quality and management” of social housing and private rented properties.

It also includes a commitment to create more opportunities for low-cost home ownership.

Almost 1,200 affordable homes have been built in Wokingham since 2015.

Cllr Kaiser said: “We have developed our own housing companies which have delivered affordable homes across the borough and we are engaged at the moment in our most ambitious project to date – a £100 million scheme to deliver homes on Gorse Rise.

READ MORE: Kebab van fined £1,000 for breaking Covid rules

“To top it all, we have made a profit with our housing companies. That’s profit that can be reinvested into the important services the council provides.”

In March 2020, the council’s four housing companies, including Wokingham Housing Limited and Lodden Homes Limited, recorded a net profit of £650,000.

He added: “The politicisation of poverty does nothing to solve it, in fact it detracts from the objectives we all should have, which should be to work towards the eradication of homelessness.

“It’s especially important in these complex and difficult times.”

People will be able to have their say on the council’s housing strategy during a public consultation in the coming weeks.