Sleeper pods offer new hope for the ‘most vulnerable’ street homeless
The pods contain a bed, toilet, shower, key-coded storage for clothing and desk space
Nine self-contained ‘sleeper pods’ for entrenched homeless people to shelter over the winter have been installed at a car park.
The accommodation, at the junction of Higher Bridge Street and Topp Way, Bolton, will provide temporary shelter for some of the most vulnerable homeless people.
The pods, which contain a bed, toilet, shower, key-coded storage for clothing and desk space are being provided to help rough sleepers who have complex needs to take a first step back, before moving into more traditional accommodation where they can rebuild their lives.
The council is providing wrap around support at the site, which includes 24-hour security and CCTV coverage. Permission for the test site was passed by the borough’s planning committee on November 6, with the pods being installed a week later ready for use over the winter through to March 31 – after which the initiative will be reviewed to see if it can be used in other areas.
The move is linked to the council’s statutory Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) responsibilities and has been put in place to support a cohort of vulnerable people who currently find themselves outside of the mainstream housing system.
The approach is similar to that employed by projects in Blackburn with Darwen, where sleeper pods have successfully supported rough sleepers into stable housing. Estimates suggest there are more than one in three working families in the UK just one lost pay packet away from being unable to pay for their accommodation.
Those aged under 25 are particularly at risk of becoming homeless, although it can affect everyone who typically experience changes to finances, relationship breakdowns, domestic abuse and violence.
The council said those who end up living rough on the streets can face serious challenges with their safety, physical and mental health, and are at greater risk of alcohol and substance misuse.
The sleeper pods act as a ‘stepping stone’ to help the homeless get into permanent housing, providing a safe place where they receive intensive social adjustment support over a six-to-ten-week period.
Coun Sean Fielding, executive member for adults and community housing at Bolton Council said: “Bolton has a long-standing commitment to no one having to sleep rough in our borough and this scheme helps us maintain that commitment for those that are furthest from a place they can call home, something everyone deserves.
“With the wraparound support that the council and our partners will be providing, we are hopeful we can make a real difference to the small number of people that have no choice but to sleep rough.
“We are also engaging more with landlords and owners of empty properties, offering them practical support, security and reassurance to encourage them to offer more housing options for Bolton people in need.”