Your Place welcome new residents into innovative long-term accommodation
Following funding from the Mayor of London, homelessness charity Your Place’s new accommodation service, The Harbour Project, has opened its doors to its first residents.
Homelessness charity Your Place, who have been operating in the East London borough of Newham since the 1960s, have welcomed residents from across the city for the first time in its history.
With Mayor of London funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP), The Harbour Project will be providing accommodation and support to people who have experienced homelessness for extended periods of time.
This is an innovative departure from the traditional hostel model, which focuses on meeting the needs of the individual towards the end goal of supporting them into more permanent housing solutions. Instead, twenty-three residents who have experienced challenges on this pathway will have access to day and night support workers to ensure that their needs are met, without the immediate need to find longer-term housing. This will allow residents to settle in their new home, and make roots that will help them overcome any personal challenges or obstacles.
Taking into account expertise and observations from Your Place’s work as a homelessness charity, as well as research illuminating the link between homelessness and social isolation (Sanders and Brown, 2015), The Harbour Project will address these needs among its resident group, with dedicated communal spaces including a kitchen and lounge to socialise with peers and neighbours. Key workers will also work with residents to ensure they feel a sense of belonging with their immediate Your Place community, and the surrounding neighbourhood of Newham.
For the first time, referrals for spaces at The Harbour Project have come from hostels in all London boroughs, bringing people with shared experiences and needs together to form new and positive communities and connections.
Tom Copley, the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, said: “I’m delighted that Your Place is opening The Harbour Project to its first residents, helping more Londoners off our streets and into long-term accommodation.
“The Mayor and I are committed to ending rough sleeping in the capital for good by 2030 and have established a new plan of action to help get us there, working with London’s boroughs and focused on prevention and delivering more homes for people at risk. Backed by funding from the Mayor, the Harbour Project will support this important mission as we continue working to build a better, fairer London for everyone.”
Amanda Dubarry, Chief Executive at Your Place, said: “Your Place are excited to welcome our new residents to join our vibrant and welcoming community in Newham. Our teams are dedicated to supporting people and helping them towards their future goals. We are very proud to be opening The Harbour Project, and continuing our work towards ending homelessness one person at a time.”
