Temporary winter housing project comes to a positive end

Swindon Borough Council celebrates after success of winter housing project at Carfax Street.

As part of the council's initiative to tackle rough sleeping, Swindon Borough Council partnered with local charities - Swindon Foodbank, Booth House, Night Shelter, and Threshold Housing Link - in a bid to secure temporary housing for Swindon's homeless.

Starting in January the winter housing project ran for 12 weeks, and this week officially came to a close.

12 guests were homed in the former health care centre, Carfax Street, and 10 have gone on to secure further accommodation through the scheme supported by the council.

Michael Ash, Head of Housing for Swindon Borough Council, said: "It has been quite a journey - the last 12 weeks. Last year we had a growing number of rough sleepers, and we wanted to get them warm, get some food in their tummies and develop a real future for them.

"We had 12 guests and successfully engaged with 10 - for two, it just simply wasn't their time. But I am delighted with the progress people have made - they've come together as a community.

"The council provided the building, and the restoration of the building, but the bulk of the hard work has been from the volunteers."

50 volunteers were on hand during the 12 week project which was overseen by Swindon Foodbank manager, Cher Smith, and Cllr Cathy Martyn, Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety.

Cher Smith said: "The social side was really important, it was something the guests did not expect - we had meals out, cinema visits, golf trips, all paid for by the volunteers. It felt like coming into a family - it was quite upsetting to say goodbye."

As part of the plans for the Kimmerfields development the Carfax building is now due to be demolished, but Mike Ash is hopeful that the winter housing project will be up and running again.

He said: "Now we'll do a final evaluation, take the results to the cabinet in June and that will steer how we move forward."