Council becomes first in London to build shelter for homeless people with no access to benefits
Redbridge Council has become the first local authority in London to build a homeless shelter for people with ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF).
The shelter, which opened yesterday, cost £5m and is a joint venture funded by the council and the Salvation Army.
Located in Ilford, east London, the building is made up of 42 self-contained flats and is the first purpose-built facility for rough sleepers who have no access to benefits, homelessness assistance or social housing.
NRPF is a status for non-UK nationals who have no access to state benefits. They usually get this status if their application for asylum has been refused or if they are subject to certain immigration controls.
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The Salvation Army will provide residents of the new shelter with 24-hour support to help them deal with issues such as domestic violence, childhood trauma, relationship breakdown and mental health problems.
The development has been named Malachi Place in recognition of Malachi Justin, a 10-year-old boy who donated £5 of his tooth fairy money to the local Salvation Army, along with a note asking them to spend it on helping homeless people.
Jas Athwal, leader of Redbridge Council, said: “This is definitely my proudest moment as leader of Redbridge Council. Everyone should be able to go to sleep at night, safe in the knowledge that they won’t come to any harm.
“That’s why we’ve invested in this facility, which is the first time a council-backed housing scheme in London will include support for those who would not usually qualify for housing help.”
Dr John Clifton, captain of The Salvation Army in Ilford, said: “Malachi’s donation and note really challenged us to do more for the people forced to sleep rough in Ilford. For many years we have offered emergency shelter to Ilford’s street community and while we could offer food and shelter, we knew it wasn’t enough.
“People end up sleeping rough for lots of complex reasons, and it could be anything from job loss or poor health to addiction. Malachi gave us the focus to think about how we could build homes and provide support to get residents back to independent living.
“It is our ambition to see it replicated in other parts of the country. If Malachi can start this from just £5, others can follow his path. We are also grateful to Redbridge Council, who paid the construction costs.”
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Homes for Cathy Annual Conference
Inside Housing is pleased to join forces with Homes for Cathy to deliver the third edition of the Homes for Cathy Annual Conference, taking place on 23 March 2020 at the Congress Centre, London.
Supported by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Crisis, the conference will unite leaders and practitioners from housing associations, local authorities and charities to share real examples of the work being done to end homelessness. The event provides a platform for informed debate and discussion, examination and exploration around the good practices being used in the sector.
Homes for Cathy is a group of housing associations that were formed in the Cathy Come Home era. They came together in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Cathy Come Home and to highlight the continuing needs of homeless people.
The Homes for Cathy group has been organising a range of local and national events over the past three years, with the aim of raising awareness of the needs of homeless people and working on strategies to end homelessness.
All surplus from the conference will go to the Homes for Cathy group to support its work bringing together housing associations, homelessness charities and local authorities to end homelessness.
