Man who slept rough praises 'plush' new housing

New temporary homes for people sleeping rough in a city were "as plush as a hotel", one of its first residents said.

Paul Smith, 52, said he was "surprised" by the quality of the facilities in Peterborough after staying at several other hostels and guest houses.

The four shared houses on Eastfield Road, which can support up to 17 men with complex needs, have on site support workers and security around the clock.

"I look forward to the future," Mr Smith said, "before, I just thought I'd blown it and I wasn't going anywhere."

The accommodation is provided by Off the Streets Accommodation, a housing scheme set up by Peterborough City Council and My Housing Options Community Interest Company.

Mr Smith added that he questioned whether he deserved his penthouse room and en suite bathroom when he first saw them.

"There's people who haven't been in my situation who might think, 'He's got all that – why haven't I got those sorts of things?'," he said.

"But I'm getting accustomed to it and settling in. There's hope that I can heal and I'm supported in a way that I must be worth something."

Mr Smith said he had problems with alcohol, drugs and his mental health after he left his job selling computers aged 27, and struggled with a lack of routine.

His home has offered a new structure to his life, he said, because there was "always washing up, hoovering, sweeping or gardening" to do, as well as rules against drinking and smoking.

The council said it helped fund the project through Rough Sleeping Initiative money, allocated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Kelly Slack, Peterborough City Council's rough sleeper team leader, first suggested the scheme.

"I've worked with rough sleepers for many years now and we've found that putting people in temporary accommodation was not the answer.

"Lots of people get evicted due to drugs, alcohol or their mental health and that doesn't happen here," she said.

Ms Slack said residents would be helped into supported accommodation or privately rented accommodation when they were ready.

The project also meant rough sleepers could find accommodation quickly, she said, although it was currently only offered to men and subject to availability.

"My team could go out tonight, find a rough sleeper and offer them accommodation and they'll move in straight away, as long as there's space," she said.

Alison Jones, a Labour councillor and the cabinet member for housing and communities on the authority, said the scheme was a "win-win" for people who are homeless and Peterborough residents more widely.

"If you walk around the city, we are aware that we do have rough sleepers. We want to be able to help them," she said.

"What we're also hoping to see is that we won't have to be concerned about rough sleepers in the city centre, which some people are quite concerned about. If that's going to reduce, that should be a win-win situation".

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