The charity Crisis has warned that progress made in tackling homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic is being eroded, with rough sleeping returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Rough sleeping in London, the charity reports, increased by 25% between April and June this year, and while the Everyone In scheme helped more than 37,000 people into emergency accommodation during lockdown, there is “no national directive and insufficient funding to continue the scheme”, leaving councils with no option but to close emergency accommodation.
In 2019 housebuilder, Hill, celebrated its 20th anniversary and to mark the occasion launched Foundation 200, a £12m pound initiative to help people experiencing periods of homelessness and provide them with an opportunity to rebuild their lives. The foundation has committed to delivering 200 modular homes to support those most in need.
Hill has used its building expertise to fulfil the ambition of Foundation 200 and are proud to have built the first modular homes specifically designed for the homeless. The modular homes, known as SoloHaus, are relocatable and robust, meaning that they present a genuinely viable long-term solution for helping to ease the homelessness crisis.
The SoloHaus units can cut energy bills to around £5 a week, have a design life of 60 years and are designed to Future Homes Standards, therefore exceeding building regulations for energy efficiency and sound insulation.
We have spokespeople available from Hill who would be keen to talk to about Foundation 200 and SoloHaus. There is going to be an official launch of a development in North London towards the middle of October which will allow journalists to come and view the product for themselves – let me know if you would like to come for a visit.