People with 'own front door' spend 70% less time in homeless system, finds Newcastle pilot

• Report by Kris Jepson

A housing pilot in Newcastle has found that homeless people who are given their own self-contained accommodation with their own front door are three times more likely to transition into independent housing.

The pilot, run by the North East based charity Changing Lives, also found that for those who lived in the self-contained accommodation at Bentinck Terrace, they spent 70 per cent less time in the homeless system.

Bentinck Terrace is the first homeless hostel in the the UK to be converted into 36 self-contained flats and it will be officially opened on Friday by the former homelessness government adviser, Dame Louise Casey.

Executive Director of the charity, Laura Seebohm, told ITV News Tyne Tees it is "much easier and more manageable to start addressing any issues" homeless people have in their lives if they have the security of their own front door.

The pilot found:

• 28 per cent of people with own front door moved into permanent homes, compared to 9 per cent of people without front door.

• People with own front door moved out of homeless system after an average 133 nights, compared to 327 nights for those without front door.

• Only 8 per cent of people with own front door had unplanned exits from accommodation, compared to 30 per cent without own front door.

Laura Seebohm said the charity is calling on local and central government to look at the results of this pilot and consider rolling the innovative programme across the country.

She said: "There are lots of great initiatives out there. Our only query with those is often they wait until people are in an entrenched homeless situation before people do get their own front door.

"What we’re saying is, get people their own front door as soon as possible, so we’re looking at a really housing led solution to challenging homelessness on our streets."

Project manager, Alan Hodgson, explained how homeless people often lead chaotic lives by abusing drugs and alcohol and experiencing adverse mental health they need the security of a home in order to deal with those issues before reintegrating into society.

He said: "When people are angry in hostels they might get a warning or asked to leave and we can add to poor housing history and the cycle can begin instead of ending. Whereas here, we have a trauma informed approach, so if somebody is kicking doors and being upset, we wait till the right moment and we ask them 'what’s wrong?' 'What’s happening for you today?'

"That way we can start the process of understanding the trauma and helping people to succeed and to move into their community and to have the life choices and chances that they deserve."

Ian Irwin has lived in the accommodation for three months. He said he finds having a front door and privacy "comforting".

He said: "It’s horrible on the streets. I don’t want to go back on the streets. That’s why I’ve come here. I’ve got my own front door. I’ve got my own key. The staff are nice people. They always come round and if you’re in trouble we go and see them and they come and sort our problems out for us and the comfort that it brings us, I’ve got no troubles here at the minute. Everything is sweet as a nut."