Charity plans house for long-term rough sleepers

A charity refurbishing a house for rough sleepers hopes it will be a "stepping stone" for people struggling with addiction.

Community First Peterborough, which began renting the three-bedroom terrace in Millfield earlier this year, hopes it will be ready to welcome its first residents by mid-July.

Mohammed Saeed from the charity says many rough sleepers in the area have been "stuck on the streets" for more than a decade and may also struggle with alcohol or drug dependencies.

Peterborough City Council said in its latest homelessness report that there were 24 rough sleepers in the city in 2023, the same as the previous year.

The authority said its rough sleeper team "promptly" identified and assessed new individuals on the streets and offered them tailored support.

The aim of the Community First Peterborough house is to help people sleeping rough access support services from the council and other organisations such as charities.

"This is a stepping stone to get them into housing and into rehabilitation services to get them off the streets," said Mr Saeed.

The house will be kitted out with CCTV and have an office for a Community First Peterborough staff member to help with application forms and make sure residents are staying on track.

It will have a garden for the residents to plant flowers and vegetables, as well as a community room with a table tennis table.

Mr Saeed said his charity had been in contact with people who had been sleeping rough for 10 years or more.

He thought this was due to a number of different reasons, such as not having any documentation, or mental health issues.

"We are taking it on board to get those people into a position where they can become recourse to public funds and then be able to avail themselves of housing," he said.

The aim is for people to stay in the house for six to 12 months until they can move on to another property, such as supported accommodation with the council.

But Mr Saeed says this can be a difficult journey, especially if individuals are struggling to overcome alcohol or drugs addictions.

"We know in the addiction circles, people will relapse," he added.

"We're not here to judge who's at what stage, if people relapse that's part of the process and we have to understand and have to be there."

The housing charity, Crisis, said prolonged periods of rough sleeping increase the likelihood of somebody experiencing substance misuse issues, describing it as a "dangerous and isolating experience".

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