The Isle of Wight Council is looking for suppliers to support Islanders who find themselves homeless, in a bid to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.
The local authority says this is done by offering help at an early stage, so people can live independently in their own homes and as part of communities.
The Isle of Wight Council is now looking for suppliers/providers to enhance this work and build on the recent improvements to the community support service.
It comes less than a week after it was revealed by Isle of Wight Radio more than 150 households on the Isle of Wight have been made homeless since the start of the pandemic.
The Isle of Wight Council says it expects that number to rise.
Cabinet Member for adult social care, public health and housing needs, Councillor Clare Mosdell, said:
"Homelessness has unfortunately continued to be an experience far too many households have been exposed to, despite the best efforts and interventions of national and local government.
"Every single person on the Isle of Wight that has been at risk of or who has found themselves homeless during the pandemic has been provided with an accommodation offer and bespoke support.
"Nonetheless we, like many other councils across the country, are expecting the risk of homelessness to rise because of the difficult circumstances of the pandemic.
"Homelessness does not usually happen overnight - if we can offer genuine help to people at an early stage, it can let them keep their independence, stay in their own homes, and reduce demand on other services."
Jamie Benchley, housing needs service manager, said:
"We would like to thank Southern Housing Group and others who have and continue to provide a first-class service supporting people to live independently and assisting the council in enabling those most in need to reach their goals and find a place to call home.
"Building on evidence of what works, we are now looking for one or more new partners to further enhance the service we offer and deliver this vital work.
"We would like to assure anyone already using our community support service that the service will continue, and we will make sure there is a smooth transition into any new services.
"Working together with our partners, we are beginning to make change possible for people that have found themselves at risk of homelessness and with no other options but to sleep rough on our streets."
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