The emergency accommodation at Hope House is open daily and offers direct access accommodation to homeless people. The day centre, situated next door, provides meals, showers and laundry facilities, among other services.
The emergency accommodation at Hope House is open daily and offers direct access accommodation. The day centre runs next door to the emergency accommodation and provides meals, showers, laundry facilities & safe storage for items. Clients are encouraged to maintain personal hygiene by being provided with soap, toothpaste and shampoo and a laundry facility is provided so users can keep their clothes clean.
The opening of HOPE Emergency Accommodation in November 2006 generated an increase of people engaging with the Day Service and the outcomes have been fantastic, with more people being resettled into appropriate accommodation and an increase in individuals accessing drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.
The people accessing HOPE Day Service are being given more structure in their lives and advice and practical help so they can address the reasons that have led them to be homeless. Hope House encourages long term unemployed people to learn the basics of employability by undertaking a 'Step to Work' programme. This training prepares people for the realities of working – getting up in the morning, being accountable for a piece of work, being a team member and earning a living.
How CRASH helped Hope House:
Hope House asked CRASH to help them to increase the accommodation that they could offer by converting the attic space into a 2 bed room plus bathroom. CRASH provided a cash grant of £10,000 and materials. The room is now finished and was immediately put to use.
CRASH is also helping Hope House to create a vegetable garden in the large but currently uncultivated garden at the back of the house. This garden will be used by people who come to the day centre both to teach basic gardening skills and to provide vegetables for the meals served to homeless people.
Sarah Dolby, Manager of Hope House said:
"CRASH enabled us to improve our premises by bringing together the skilled workmen and building materials necessary to provide two extra bed spaces and shower room, which allows us to take more homeless persons off the streets! From the beginning of the application to the completion of the project, the CRASH team has been incredibly supportive, efficient and professional – without CRASH this project would not have gone ahead."
