Stoke-on-Trent rough sleepers to keep vital housing support

A Stoke-on-Trent homelessness programme that has supported 107 people since 2023 will continue for at least another two years after the city secured £586,601 in government funding.

The Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme, known as SHAP, provides accommodation and specialist support for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Stoke-on-Trent City Council said the funding will extend the scheme through to March 2029, keeping support in place for people with complex needs who might otherwise face rough sleeping or repeated emergency placements.

The programme is currently delivered by Brighter Futures and is aimed at long-standing rough sleepers, as well as vulnerable young people who are homeless or sleeping on the streets.

Support for rough sleepers and vulnerable young people

SHAP is designed around stable accommodation and one-to-one help, rather than short-term shelter alone. The council says the service works with people whose housing problems are often linked to wider pressures, including health, confidence, life skills and the ability to keep a tenancy going.

Residents supported through the scheme receive secure accommodation alongside specialist support intended to help them rebuild routines, manage practical responsibilities and move towards less intensive housing support when they are ready.

That longer-term model matters because rough sleeping is rarely solved by a bed for one night. For people with complex needs, the risk of returning to the streets can rise when accommodation is temporary, unsupported or unsuitable. SHAP is intended to reduce that cycle by giving residents time and structured help.

£586,601 award extends SHAP to March 2029

The new government funding award is worth £586,601 and will keep the programme running until March 2029. The extension gives the service a longer window to continue work that began in 2023.

According to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Brighter Futures has helped 107 people through the programme since its launch. Some people using the service have already moved on into regular housing with less intensive support, showing how supported accommodation can act as a route away from rough sleeping rather than a holding place.

The funding also fits into the council’s wider homelessness strategy, which prioritises prevention, stability and early support. That approach is intended to reduce reliance on crisis responses, including emergency hotel placements, which can be costly and less suited to people with complex support needs.

A similar shift towards supported housing has been reported elsewhere, including a Shrewsbury housing approach that reduced reliance on B&B placements.

Programme impact in Stoke-on-Trent

The council says SHAP has had a clear positive impact, with residents helped to sustain accommodation, build confidence and develop practical life skills. For frontline homelessness services, that kind of progress can ease pressure across temporary housing, outreach teams and other support networks.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning, improvement and governance at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the scheme had already played an important role in helping vulnerable people in the city.

“The work the SHAP scheme has already achieved in helping vulnerable people in our city is so important, which is why I am pleased it will continue to support rough sleepers and their complex needs until March 2029,” he said.

He added that supported accommodation delivers better outcomes for individuals and that SHAP’s long-term approach reduces the likelihood of people returning to rough sleeping while easing pressure on temporary housing and frontline services.

Homelessness prevention remains the wider aim

The continuation of SHAP means Stoke-on-Trent will keep a targeted service for residents who are at highest risk of falling through gaps between housing, health and social support.

The council has framed the extension as part of its work to reduce health inequalities and improve living standards. Its homelessness strategy focuses on preventing people from reaching crisis point, keeping residents in stable accommodation where possible and providing earlier help before emergency placements become the only option.

Robinson said the programme had “changed people’s lives for the better” and had become “an integral part of homelessness prevention in Stoke-on-Trent”.

Source: Stoke-on-Trent City Council