SSJ on BBC The World at One

Some of you may have heard the feature on BBC World at One yesterday, which focused on the difficulties had by our service users when it comes to finding a permanent place to live. The interview with SSJ service users begins 41 minutes in.

SSJ has a long term plan to move our service users into permanent accommodation; giving them the chance to have a positive future in a home they can call their own.

Over the last 2 years, we have purchased 14 properties. When they are all refurbished these will create an additional 78 units of accommodation in Southampton, Portsmouth, and Aldershot at a cost of £5.6 million. This has been financed by a mixture of grants from Homes England, mortgages and donations we have received. This will represent a 20% increase in the amount of accommodation we manage.

Our long term strategy is to continue to provide accommodation and specialist support for vulnerable and homeless people but to also increase our stock of independent housing, to provide a better range of options in the challenge of reducing rough sleeping in our community.

What else are we doing?

We recently launched our Christmas Campaign, intending to provide our service users with a hot meal and a gift. We are looking to raise £5,000 – with anything above that total going towards our on-going mission to buy more housing across Hampshire, to get people off the streets and into suitable accommodation.

You can also donate to our long-term plan by visiting this link.

Find out more about the work done by SSJ by visiting this link.