Pan-London Housing First Service for women
Update 21st March: We are currently closed for referrals but hope to open back up shortly.
Solace and Hopscotch Women’s Centre run a pan-London Housing First Service supporting women who are experiencing multiple disadvantages. The service is seeking increase the support for Black and ethnically minoritised women who have not been traditionally supported through Housing First models.
Our existing Housing First provision has been successful in Westminster and Islington since 2019, providing vital support to the most vulnerable women in London experiencing multiple disadvantages such as domestic abuse, substance misuse, and rough sleeping. Our research has highlighted a disparity in the access to Housing First services, particularly with regard to the number of Black and ethnically minoritised women using the service. This gap underscores the urgent need to explore and understand the experiences and barriers faced by women, to address this imbalance and to provide targeted support to underserved communities.
Following funding secured through the Oak Foundation, we will be building on our provision in partnership with Hopscotch Women’s Centre to enable targeted outreach to Black and ethnically minoritised women who are currently underserved by the existing work. Hopscotch has years of experience as a specialist in designing and evaluating services for Black and ethnically minoritised women, which will enable the us to further reach the women who need our support.
Like our Westminster and Islington service we will be offering women holistic, intensive, trauma-informed support in line with Housing First principles. Support is separate to the offer of housing.
Housing First Project workers support service users in accessing furniture, setting up bills and rent payments, maximising income, accessing local services and re-integrating with the community. As we are VAWG professionals, we also offer services similar to IDVA services such as referrals for orders, sanctuary schemes, risk assessments and safety planning etc.
Referral criteria: affected by VAWG, homelessness/vulnerably housed, and experience of multiple disadvantage, including being affected by substance misuse, physical or mental health issues, contact with criminal justice system and having children removed from care.
Due to the long-term nature of the support that we offer, vacancies come up infrequently so please check capacity before submitting a referral.
To find out more about the project or making referrals, please contact: therubyproject@solacewomensaid.org
