Watford homeless charity winter figures show sustained demand

Demand for support remains at a 2-year high at a Watford homeless charity, as the service records over 100 referrals this winter alone.

New Hope closed The Haven for the season, its overnight facility, last month. During its four-month operation, it received 104 referrals, with around 85 individuals taking up the opportunity to stay.

The work carried out to support each and every individual in need represented a total of 1500 volunteer hours from 41 different volunteers that helped with the service.

Assistant Manager at the centre, Juliette Morrison, however assured us the outreach and support continues.

She said: "This is an emergency measure and we would be working really closely with somebody to move them on.

"We could accommodate 15 people per night, but we had over 85 here. So during that time we’d be working really closely with them to see what their connection is, whether they were on benefits. We would then be signposting them to services that would support them."

The shelter provided shared sleeping accommodation for up to 15 people, including three designated spaces for women.

One significant development this year was the introduction of an accessible sleeping pod.

Ms Morrison said: "We fundraised for the pod earlier on in the year, which could accommodate either somebody with severe mental health or somebody with a physical disability, or somebody with a dog.

"We were successfully able to support at least three individuals with dogs and a couple of people with PTSD.”

Referrals into the shelter were handled in close collaboration with Watford Borough Council, involving an assessment process.

The services offered through the winter period included New Hope’s own emergency accommodation on Exchange Road, as well as support organisations such as Emerging Futures, the Grove, and the YMCA.

In some cases, individuals were reconnected with family or their original local authorities.

While outcomes were positive for many, challenges remain.

Ms Morrison said: "It takes a while for somebody to trust that we’re not judging them and to be honest with what their behaviours are.

"We do have a few that we see every six months or so. Their needs are so complex that just supporting them around housing isn’t enough."

Looking at the broader system, Ms Morrison identified a need for more integrated support.

"Homelessness isn’t just you need a roof over your head. You need support around addiction, around past trauma," she added. "They haven’t necessarily got the skills to support themselves."

"There are so many different charities supporting the same communities. It would be amazing to all come together and share best practice and what works and what doesn’t work."