Housing First

Our Housing First Project, which launched in April 2022, is the first women-only housing first project in Neath Port Talbot and is funded by Nationwide Community Fund. The funding allows us to offer between 5 and 7 tenancies over the course of the next two years.

Housing First evolved in the United States in the 1990’s and works in contrast to the “staircase” approach to resolving homelessness that is currently adopted here in the UK.

Housing First places homeless people directly into long-term, self-contained housing with no requirement that they progress through transitional housing programmes, such as hostels, shared housing or time-limited tenancies based on special conditions.

Thrive’s Housing First project adopts the following principles:

• People have the right to a home
• Flexible support is provided for as long as it’s needed
• Housing and support are separated
• People have choice and control
• The service is based on peoples’ strengths and aspirations
• An active engagement approach is used
• A harm reduction approach is used

The women we work with in Housing First will have all different backgrounds but the main thing that they have in common is their experiences of homelessness. Their history of trauma and abuse may have had a substantial effect on their physical and mental health. For this reason, we recognise that the women we support will also be likely to have current or historic problems with drugs and alcohol and would have likely been through the system multiple times. This may have led to a lack of trust in professionals who are there to support them.  At Thrive our aim is to build trusting relationships with women and support them to find long-term solutions to all the barriers they face in order to live a life free from abuse and violence.

Our project is open to women who meet the following essential criteria:

• Women who are homeless as a result of domestic abuse, sexual violence or other forms of violence against women
• Over the age of 18
• Wishing to reside within Neath Port Talbot
• In receipt of public funds
• Experiencing other forms of vulnerabilities including; mental health issues, drugs and alcohol misuse, criminal convictions

Please note ALL of the following must apply for the referral to be considered.

Once Thrive’s Housing First team receive a referral, we will contact the applicant to arrange a face-to-face or telephone assessment to find out more information about their situation. They’ll be informed as soon as possible if they have been accepted onto the project.

If we decide to accept, we will begin working with the applicant straight away, to help prepare them for managing a tenancy, and continue to work with them for as long as our support is needed.

Where an application is unsuccessful, they will be informed within 48 hours of receiving the referral, and they will be informed of the appeals process.

We accept self-referrals or referrals from other agencies.

Enquiries can be made by email to the Residential Services and Estates Manager on 01639 894864 and completed referral forms should be sent to [email protected]