Plans for supported housing for young people facing homelessness

A block of affordable housing to help young people facing homelessness has been proposed for Oldham town centre. 

If approved, the plans submitted to the council will see 15 new homes built on a shared plot on Foundry Street. 

The proposal was entered by Jigsaw Homes Tameside, whichs brings together a number of services to help vulnerable people. 

The housing units will be available for short-term rentals while the residents are supported into full-time accommodation. 

The proposal said: “The intention of this scheme is to provide a new carefully designed, high-quality, residential development offering temporary accommodation to young adults on behalf of Jigsaw Homes. 

“With units fully affordable and available on a rental basis, residents will be able to access the specialist care and services that are needed to facilitate a move to permanent housing options.

“Facilities of this nature are under prescribed in this area and so additional provision is sorely needed.” 

The building will be staffed all around the clock and feature two communal areas for residents. 

The site of the build would make use of a vacant brownfield site that sits beside Koffee Kingdom and the Metrolink. 

Project designers DK-Architects claim the ‘derelict’ plot currently provides an ‘opportunity for antisocial behaviour’. 

The applicants suggest the project is in line with the GMCA and Oldham Council’s Homelessness Prevention and Reduction Strategy 2021-2026, as well as the Housing Strategy (2019) and the Temporary Accommodation Strategy 2021-2024. 

Oldham Council recently declared a ‘housing crisis’ in the borough as thousands of families are left waiting for social housing. 

Permanent and specialised temporary accommodation is in short supply, leading to long delays for over 11,000 applicants. 

Homelessness is on the rise across the country and an estimated 18,812 people are living without a roof over their heads in the North West, according to the latest figures by Shelter. 

The problem is particularly acute for young people, with the YMCA finding that one in five of all individuals assessed as homeless or at risk of homelessness across England and Wales last year were aged 16-24.

The plans are currently under neighbour consultation and have received one objection so far.

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