The Shelter Trust is to open a dedicated facility for homeless women, in partnership with Christians Together in Jersey Housing Trust (CTJ HT).
The new women-only shelter will provide accommodation and a wrap-around package of support for up to twenty women at any one time.
Neville Benbow, Chairman of The Shelter Trust, explained to Channel Eye: “It has long been the ambition of the Trust to provide improved services for women who find themselves to be homeless. This new initiative will offer hope, dignity and a fresh start for the increasing numbers of women needing the support of Shelter.”
He explained that the Trust had been heavily involved in the development of the recently published Homelessness Strategy. This had highlighted some of the gaps in current provision, one of which was the lack of a specialist women-only facility.
At present, Jersey does not have ‘women-only’ provision for those in urgent need of emergency accommodation, with the exception of the short-stay Women’s Refuge, which has limited capacity.
This new initiative will provide an emergency alternative, especially for those women who are homeless and/or cannot access Women’s Refuge, as well as an onward referral option once they have left the Refuge.
Mr Benbow said: “We know that being homeless is a traumatic event in anyone’s life. This new project will enhance the wellbeing of the women using our services. As always, our aim is for homeless people to be with us for as short a time as is practically possible before their return to mainstream accommodation and a better life. The opening of a dedicated women-only shelter will ensure that we are able to offer much more effective support to women than we have been able to thus far.”
The introduction of a new service model for the Trust, delivered by trained, experienced and skilled staff, in a safe space, aims to address fundamental needs, improve living standards, and health and wellbeing, leading to better outcomes for homeless women.
The new women-only facility will operate from premises owned by Christians Together in Jersey Housing Trust and builds on the successful partnerships developed with CTJ HT and other social housing providers which have helped extend both Shelter’s service offering and its onward referral and accommodation options.
Advocate Charles Thacker, Chairman of CTJ HT, said: “Christians Together in Jersey Housing Trust is delighted to continue its partnership with Shelter in providing accommodation for people in need, and particularly so at a time of disruption resulting from the pandemic.”
The establishment of the new service, which it is hoped will open towards the end of the summer, is made possible by the extraordinary funding package of grants and donations from businesses and funding organisations including Le Gallais Real Estates Limited, the Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Ocorian Trustees, Ann Alice Rayner Fund, the Roy Overland Charitable Trust, and the Fiscal Stimulus Fund.
“The benefits resulting from this tremendous financial support from friends and supporters, old and new, will be transformational and life changing for homeless women in Jersey, for which we’re extremely grateful,” added Mr Benbow.
