The Manx Lottery Trust is continuing to help homeless support charity Housing Matters, so that it can employ a dedicated housing support worker for a further 12 months.

It follows a three-year pilot scheme, also backed by the trust, during which Housing Matters helped people in need secure places to live and provided them with tools to manage and maintain tenancies.

The support worker also helps those preparing to move into local authority housing, as well as those leaving hospital who require specialist accommodation.

The charity, which was awarded a grant as part of the trust’s community awards initiative, is expecting an increased workload following the Covid-19 pandemic as it aims to help people apply for affordable and suitable housing.

Julie Marshall, homeless projects development manager at Housing Matters, said: ’The support of the Manx Lottery Trust is invaluable to the charity and the work that we do in assisting vulnerable people here in the Isle of Man.

’Its continued support enables us to provide ongoing services to those in need and facing housing crisis.’

Housing Matters was formed to offer advice and guidance around housing matters to people living on the Isle of Man, as well as support to enable clients to re-settle and sustain accommodation.

The chairman of the Manx Lottery Trust, Sarah Kelly, added: ’Housing Matters is an invaluable resource for so many in the island and we are very happy to help the team improve the quality of its service provision and increase community awareness of its services.’