Spelthorne’s Housing team have been shortlisted for an Inside Housing Affordable Homes award for 2023 in the Homelessness project of the year category.
Through the work of the team, Spelthorne has reduced rough sleepers from 16 on any given night (2016) to between 0-2 (2023). There are currently zero entrenched rough sleepers in the borough due to the initiatives we’ve put in place. One project includes the high quality development of two sites for homeless households.
1. White House (opened October 2021) – provides specialist accommodation for single homeless people with multiple and complex needs. The development comprises 27 en-suite rooms with shared kitchens and four self-contained studio flats. There is also an on-site learning suite / communal space for helping to prepare residents for move-on.
2. Harper House (opened January 2022) – provides emergency accommodation for up to 20 homeless families while settled accommodation is found.
Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) are contracted to manage both sites.
In 2022/23, 12 families moved on to settled accommodation from Harper House and 20 people with multiple and complex needs successfully moved on from White House. Without these two key sites, it is likely that homeless households would have continued to be placed in smaller emergency accommodation without wraparound support for a significant period of time.
Cllr Susan Doran, Chair of the Community, Wellbeing and Housing Committee, said: “I am incredibly proud of the work the team have been doing over the past number of years to tackle homelessness. Our Housing team is becoming consistently recognized on a national level and I truly believe that, as a Council, we punch above our weight in terms of tackling homelessness. Congratulations to everyone involved in this magnificent achievement.”
The shortlist can be viewed here: affordablehousingawards.co.uk/shortlist
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