Specialist facility provides support for homeless residents - May 2023

Spelthorne Borough Council opened the White House in Ashford in October 2021, providing accommodation for single homeless people with links to Spelthorne. Located on the Kingston Road, the facility provides specialist accommodation for people with multiple or complex needs who are not able to access mainstream accommodation options.

Social housing provider Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) manage the facility on behalf of the Council, providing a specialist support service with 24-hour on-site cover and a team with extensive experience in the sector. Prior to the establishment of the White House, single homeless residents would have been placed in 'bed and breakfast' accommodation without suitable support, or in the worst cases, ended up sleeping rough.

The facility contains 27 en-suite rooms with shared kitchens and four self-contained studio flats. It also benefits from a learning suite which is used to hold training programmes, advice sessions and other activities for residents. MTVH has worked with various partners including the DWP, Rentstart, Citizens Advice and Christians against Poverty to provide workshops and support for the residents. The response from local residents has been excellent, with many offering donations and volunteering their time.

Since opening, 20 residents have been helped to move into permanent settled accommodation following their stay at the White House. The intensive support offered by the White House is what makes it stand out from other homelessness solutions. Spelthorne and MTVH view every resident as an individual and get to know what help they need to move to a more stable situation.

One such resident had gone through a relationship breakdown when he came to the White House. He suffered with depression, was dependant on alcohol and had lost his purpose in life. He stayed at the White House for seven months and worked with the MTVH team to gain an understanding of how his alcohol use impacted his loved ones and worked on his employment skills. He has since given up alcohol, rebuilt his relationship with his wife and child, returned to the family home and is now in full-time employment. The support he received while at the White House changed his life.

The White House intensive programme is designed to provide support for up to 12 months, after which most residents will be in a position to move on to independent accommodation. For those who require support for a bit longer, six one-bedroom flats have been acquired as part of the Government's Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme to offer move-on accommodation for White House leavers for up to two years, with ongoing support. The programme is financed by DLUHC in partnership with MTVH.

Cllr Susan Doran, Chair of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee, said: "We are extremely proud of the achievements of the White House since its opening in 2021. This fantastic facility is providing excellent support for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Homelessness has such a devastating effect on people's lives, so I'm delighted that this service has, in quite a short space of time, already helped so many people move to settled accommodation, and will continue to help many more in the coming months and years."

Julie Shuter, MTVH Regional Director said:"At MTVH we believe everyone should have a decent home and the chance to live well. As such, we are really proud to have worked with Spelthorne Borough Council to be part of developing and delivering this important service. The result is that residents have access to good quality supported housing, they benefit from a safe, stable, and supportive environment and achieve positive outcomes at such a crucial time in their lives."