Help 4 Homeless Veterans: Charity buy five-bed home as permanent safe house for veterans facing homelessness
A permanent five-bed halfway home to safely house veterans facing homelessness has been bought by a South Yorkshire charity.
‘Help 4 Homeless Veterans’ has been handed the keys to the property in Rotherham to create a stepping stone for UK veterans who are sleeping rough.
The charity claims veterans who stay will be supported with advice to find onwards housing, get financial support and take practical steps.
Steve Bentham-Bates, chief executive officer at Help 4 Homeless Veterans, said: “Completing on the sale of this property is a huge milestone for the charity and the scope of support we can offer. Since the charity was founded, we have helped more than 1,100 veterans with their housing challenges and having this home as a safe space for veterans will allow us to continue that ongoing support without the need for expensive hotel rooms.
“There is a long history of military connection to the home too, which felt serendipitous and we’re incredibly grateful to the organisations that have engaged with us to make this possible, including the Mayor of Barnsley, Mayor of Rotherham, local contractors and the generosity of the general public.”
The work undertaken to transform the house into a safe base for individuals is being led by regional procurement specialist EN:Procure, which is part of Efficiency North, as the project manager.
Contractors have reportedly volunteered free or reduced rates to undertake minor renovations to the property over the next few weeks.
Simeon Perry, of EN:Procure, said: “We have always been impressed by the incredible work Help 4 Homeless Veterans does to protect veterans since we first supported them as our Christmas Charity of the Year in 2015.
“When we were approached again to support this project, we knew we could provide the professional knowledge and services to get the home ready. Several contractors across our frameworks are on hand and ready to turn this house into the space the charity needs.”
Renovations and cosmetic work are due to take a few weeks, with an official opening expected in spring, ready to house the first veterans.