Rough sleeper feels 'lucky' to have new home

A housing facility that provides accommodation to homeless people with complex needs has been praised by one of its first residents.

Off the Streets Accommodation, on Eastfield Road, Peterborough, can support 17 people for whom hotels and B&Bs may not be suitable.

The site opened in April and has been providing eight people with temporary housing.

One of the residents called Paul, who has previously suffered with addiction, said the project had helped him quit drinking and "become a better person".

"In temporary accommodation, such as guest houses, I didn't really have the stability to conquer personal problems," he said.

"Being vulnerable and having mental health problems I don't think I'd have done it on my own, so I feel lucky to be looked after here.

"I feel lucky in my current situation – so far so good."

The scheme is a collaboration between Peterborough City Council and My Housing Options Community Interest Company.

It is being funded for 12 months by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the rough sleeping initiative funding.

The properties are designed to ensure those living in them are given intensive support to help them gain a pathway into permanent accommodation.

Michael Wright, from My Housing Options, said: "The outreach team could find someone at 07:00 BST and the room could be provided by 09:00.

"Some people are here for weeks, some people with complex needs might be here for longer. But we can get them the best intervention to see where they can go."

Alison Jones, a cabinet member for housing and communities at Peterborough City Council, described the programme as "unique", adding that those who use it received "the wraparound support they need".

"Sometimes that's life skills that we take for granted such as cooking or budget skills, or perhaps it's visits from health specialists," she said.

"I can only see it as a positive for people in the city who might need that extra care - and we have to treat them as individuals.

"We believe that bringing them into this safe space will help them breathe and develop. Although this is not 'their home' we want them to feel like it is one."

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