Nottingham Homes Renovated to Combat Homelessness
Four self-contained homes in Villa Road, Nottingham have been renovated in a unique partnership scheme so they can be used to help reduce homelessness in the city.
A partnership of leading UK social enterprise Places for People, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and Homes England have funded the £330,000 investment in the four previously empty properties. The Villa Road service will be occupied from this month (May 2024).
Going forward, the homes will be managed by Places for People, and each home will be fully furnished and occupied by a single adult experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Each tenant will be able to stay for up to two years to promote stability and independent living skills, before being supported to move to longer-term accommodation, freeing up the properties for other people at risk of homelessness.
In addition to having a safe, comfortable, and independent space to live, those living in the homes will have a dedicated Support Worker who will work alongside Nottingham City Council to help them as they progress towards more permanent accommodation.
Rachel Crownshaw, Group Managing Director for Communities at Places for People, said: “This is going to be such an important service for those in Nottingham who desperately need somewhere safe to live independently.
“We’re delighted to see Villa Road open, and I’d like to thank our partners at DLUHC, Homes England and Nottingham City Council for working with us to bring this to life.
“People end up rough sleeping for a variety of complex reasons varying from financial trouble, domestic abuse, difficulties with drugs or alcohol, and mental health. That is why this service will be much more than a place to live, we will also be delivering a bespoke plan for everyone living here to help them tackle obstacles or challenges they face and help them access a variety of support services.
Through this support, we aim to help everyone who lives here into permanent and independent accommodation and reduce their risk of homelessness again in the future.
“I’m proud to say that this service is part of our continued support to help people out of and away from homelessness. In the last year, we have helped almost 11,000 people who were homeless or at risk of being homeless across the UK and we are determined to continue to build on this.”
A representative at the Department of Levelling Up said: “We’re pleased that the £210,000 of DLUHC funding that has contributed to the works to the homes and will fund dedicated support for the residents will make a real difference in Nottingham, providing four new stable, long-term homes to those who have previously been sleeping rough in the city.
“The Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme is part of a range of measures to meet the Government’s manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping by the end of this parliament and will complement the variety of accommodation and support offers in place as part of Nottingham’s pathway for those sleeping rough or at risk of rough sleeping.”
Councillor Jay Hayes, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Ward Councillor for Bestwood, added: “We have maximised every opportunity for grant funding to support the delivery of the city’s Ending Rough Sleeping plan.
“We are therefore very pleased that Places for People Living Plus will be joining the local partnership and delivering new homes to help meet the wide range of needs of vulnerable people in Nottingham.”
