Partners seek to address homelessness challenge
Brims Construction has started work on a Pelaw project where Tyne Housing is working with Gateshead Council to provide supported housing, backed by £3.5m of government funding.
Groundworks and site remediation are well underway at the site, where 20 one-bedroom homes, 17 of them flats for those with support needs and three dedicated ‘moving on’ dwellings, will be delivered.
The accommodation will be for people aged 25 and over, referred from Gateshead Council. On-site safety and support will be available 24 hours per day for people who are at risk of homelessness, creating 10 new jobs for a local, dedicated staff team to provide this service. Construction is expected to be completed by early spring 2026.
Steve McKinlay, chief executive of Tyne Housing, said: “The UK is witnessing a homelessness crisis that must be addressed on both a national and local level. People experiencing homelessness can have multi-faceted challenges and often need extra support to meet these challenges in the most holistic way possible.
“By partnering with Gateshead Council to deliver this exemplar scheme, we can start to help people address issues in a place of safety and stability, and at a community level.
“Having stable accommodation gives people a real sense of belonging and security, and along with wellbeing support, we’re laying the groundwork for lasting positive change which is exciting to see.”
The Pelaw development has received £3.5m funding from Homes England and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Single Homeless Accommodation Programme, as well as significant investment from Tyne Housing and Gateshead Council.
The SHAP programme has allocated £256m to fund housing schemes and tackle this issue across the UK, with Gateshead being one of only four councils in the North East to be awarded funding alongside Middlesbrough, Durham and Sunderland.
Cllr Chris Buckley, Gateshead Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “Sadly, there is still a homeless crisis in the UK, despite it being 2024, and with more people struggling with the rising cost of living, this number is increasing rather than decreasing.
“That is why it is really important that we as a council work with our communities and housing specialists like Tyne Housing, to ensure we have suitable accommodation for those that need it most. Schemes like this help people to be able to get back on their feet and change their futures for the better, which can only be a good thing.
“It is part of a raft of measures we are committed to doing to help avert this crisis locally and we welcome the national housing funding which is enabling us to do this.”
Charitable housing association Tyne Housing has more than 50 years of specialist experience supporting vulnerable adults across the North East.
