Shepherd's Bush Housing Group Celebrates Starts at Home

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Highlighting importance of sheltered housing including three local developments

Shepherd's Bush Housing Group, which has sheltered homes for elderly residents across H&F, is taking part in Starts at Home day today, 1 September.

Starts at Home, now in its second year and run by the National Housing Federation, celebrates how supported housing helps hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people regain their independence and confidence.

SBHG staff celebrate Start at Home Day

SBHG has 73 sheltered housing homes for elderly residents in Hammersmith and Fulham. These are in three developments – Asbridge Court on Dalling Road in Hammersmith, Ely Court on Cloncurry Street and Elizabeth Barnes Court on Marinefield Road, both in Fulham.

Housing associations across the country provide a wide range of vital supported housing services including sheltered accommodation, refuges for domestic violence victims, homelessness shelters and housing for those with disabilities.

SBHG’s support comes as uncertainty surrounds the future funding of supported housing. The National Housing Federation and its members are campaigning to persuade the Government to commit to ensuring that every person who needs extra support has a home that meets their needs.

As part of the campaign, SBHG has also written to local MPs asking them to champion supported housing in Parliament. Matt Campion, Chief Executive at SBHG, said: "Our housing lets people who may have lived in the area all their lives continue to do so with extra help from us. Those residents live independently but within a community that looks out for each other. Our staff support them and help them access local services, including our own.

"Providing these homes also saves money in the local and national economy. The government estimates that supported housing saves £3.5bn annually, for instance through lower costs for the NHS. We know that for every £1 we invest in this service, the local and national economy benefits by £2.

"We therefore stand with the NHF in the championing the future of supported housing, whether as intensive support to vulnerable people or the lighter touch support we provide through our 73 homes."

David Orr, Chief Executive at the National Housing Federation said: "Supported housing helps people to live independently and achieve their aspirations in a safe and secure home. It is a critical time for supported housing; we must highlight how vital a lifeline it is to so many vulnerable people and show Government why supported housing should be put on a secure and sustainable footing for the future."

1 September, 2017