An award-winning housing trust has begun a new project providing short-stay accommodation to homeless people from Burton-on-Trent so they do not have to be put up in emergency B&Bs or hostels.
Derventio Housing Trust is an award-winning social landlord which provides accommodation in the form of a secure bedroom in a shared house to 1200 homeless people a year.
Now the trust has won funding for a new ‘Horizons’ project in Burton to put a safe roof over the head of those who have just lost theirs.
The project builds on the success of Derventio Housing Trust’s existing ‘Junction’ project in Burton which also provides accommodation for people at the point they become homeless.
Both Horizons and The Junction comprise Derventio Housing Trust properties in Burton that are available for people who come to East Staffordshire Borough Council when they have lost their home.
Councils must by law immediately provide accommodation to people who come to them when they have been made homeless.
In towns without projects like The Junction and Horizons, homeless people are put up in emergency short-stay accommodation such as B&Bs, hotels or hostels.
Latest figures show that across the country, around 13,930 households are being placed in emergency B&Bs or commercial hotels where they can legally stay for up to six weeks before being found something more permanent.
Those recently made homeless are housed in short-stay accommodation while an assessment is carried out, at which point they can be moved into a longer term solution.
Sarah Hernandez, managing director of Derventio Housing Trust, explained that the project was aimed at providing a better outcome for both the local council and those being supported.
She said: “We are delighted to have secured funding for our new Horizons properties in Burton-on-Trent that will help people in the town who have unfortunately become homeless.
“Our Horizons project builds on the success of our existing Junction accommodation in Burton. All properties have been completed to a high standard and we hope they provide comfort to those who find themselves at a tough point in their lives.
“People become homeless for all sorts of reasons. Their marriage has broken down; they have fallen behind with their rent or are in mortgage arrears, they have been discharged from hospital or prison with nowhere to go, or they have been kicked out by their parents.
“We are committed through everything we do at Derventio to ensure we can help as many people as we can get back on their feet.”
Derventio’s Junction project in Burton-on-Trent provides four bed-spaces in a property that has been kitted out by the housing trust with additional facilities including TVs, fridges in bedrooms, Internet access and CCTV.
Horizons’ properties in Burton have been refurbished to the same high spec, including en-suite bathroom facilities. Over the next year Horizons will provide 12 more bed spaces for short-stay homeless accommodation in the town, rising to 16 over two years.
Access to The Junction is provided by filling out a short form, while the route into a Horizons property is even quicker with the council only needing to make a phone call to secure a spot for those right at the point of acute need.
As well as accommodation, people accessing the Junction and Horizons will benefit from regular visits from one of Derventio Housing Trust’s dedicated housing and support workers, who provide a range of support including practical help such as form-filling and signposting to additional services.
Because of the level of need in Burton-on-Trent, all Derventio Housing Trust accommodation in both Horizons and The Junction have been continually full from the day they opened.
Cllr Simon Slater, Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services at East Staffordshire Borough Council said: “We welcome this investment from Derventio Housing Trust, which will provide much-needed temporary accommodation for people facing homelessness in Burton-on-Trent. By expanding local provision, Horizons will help reduce the need for emergency B&B placements while ensuring residents can access safe accommodation and support when they need it most.”
