Candidates hoping to become the first ever West Midlands mayor have pledged to cut homelessness and rough sleeping.
Andy Street, the Conservative candidate in next May鈥檚 election, said he would ask businesses to help pay to cut homelessness.
And Mr Street, the former managing director of retail giant John Lewis, said he believed firms would be happy to contribute, either financially or by providing expertise.
Sion Simon, the Labour candidate, said he would make ending homelessness in the West Midlands 鈥渁 top priority鈥 if he becomes mayor.
And he said the region would have the chance to act when it receives new powers, responsibility and funding from London.
It follows the death of homeless man Chirac Ionut, who died on a freezing night in late November in Birmingham city centre.
There are an estimated 249 people sleeping rough in the West Midlands region according to figures compiled by local councils, though it is hard to know how accurate these are.
Charity Shelter found that 16,100 people are homeless in the West Midlands including 9,560 of them in Birmingham. This includes people without a permanent or suitable home.
Mr Street said he would set up a mayoral task force to cut homelessness and rough sleeping.
鈥淚f I were to be elected in May I would want to set up a specific task force around rough sleeping.鈥
鈥淲hat has happened recently has shamed our region and we need to do something about it.
鈥淎nd secondly, it is not good in terms of the impression it gives of our city centres. There is a growing issue that needs to be tackled on a regional basis.
He added: 鈥淲hat is very clear is that we have some success already. For example, youth rough sleeping in Birmingham is almost nil, because the agencies come together so effectively to tackle this.
鈥淏ut we haven鈥檛 got the same inter-agency co-operation for adult rough sleeping.鈥
Many adults who were homeless had mental health issues, problems with alcohol or drugs, or had struggled to rebuild their lives after leaving prison, he said.
鈥淚t is not just about providing accommodation, It has to be about tackling those underlying prevention issues as well. And that鈥檚 why a task force bringing everyone together is important in this.鈥
As well as asking the private sector to contribute, he would set up a system for members of the public to donate to organisations which prevent homelessness, as an alternative to donating to street collectors.
Labour says that if it wins power nationally it will 鈥減ut an end to homeless people having to sleep rough on the streets and park benches鈥 by reserving flats and homes for people who have slept on the streets.
The policy is known as the Clearing House scheme and it already operates in London. As well as expanding it in the capital, a Labour government would extend it to Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester, Labour Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey has announced.
Labour mayor candidate Si么n Simon said: 鈥淗omelessness is not an inevitable feature of our society. The decisions made by politicians in London have a direct impact on vulnerable people living on the edge here in the West Midlands.
鈥淪ince 2010, homelessness has increased in our country by 54 per cent. As we learn today from the charity Shelter, 16,100 people across the West Midlands - including nearly 10,000 in Birmingham - are homeless. A man is reported to have died on our streets in freezing conditions. Rightly, people are expressing shock at today鈥檚 news.
鈥淒on鈥檛 believe politicians in London telling us that everything possible is being done to resolve the homelessness crisis. It鈥檚 not true.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got the opportunity to do something about this, with new powers, responsibility and funding coming back to the West Midlands next year - and I will make it a top priority that we reverse the homelessness trend that blights the record of the Conservative government in London.鈥
The election for a West Midlands mayor takes place on May 4 2017.
Candidates also include Liberal Democrat Beverley Nielsen; Green candidate James Burn, and 海角视频IP candidate Pete Durnell.
