Crossways, our Winter emergency accommodation project, is looking very empty now as we closed our doors on another year at the end of March. We’ll be publishing a full report in the coming months but wanted to provide a quick update.
It was a busy time, with a record amount of severe weather and fewer move on options for our guests following the closure of a local hostel for those with complex needs and replacement with smaller provision.
Many of the residents coming into Crossways had complex mental health issues and finding specialist move on accommodation presented significant challenges. But this is also a time to celebrate what has been achieved by working in partnership.
Over the Winter, 49 people were able to access a bed space. This included 15 who came in during one of the 4 Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) periods. We were able to find regular beds for 4 of these SWEP guests at Crossways with others accessing longer term accommodation at Jimmy’s when SWEP finished.
Of the 38 people (including 6 women) who were given a regular bed, over 50% (20) made a positive move-on to somewhere where they could access a longer term bed and the appropriate level of support needed to continue their journey to finding a home.