Housing assistance from Homeless Pathways in Oxford

There are several emergency accommodations provided by Homeless Pathways in Oxford, and the charity offers lodging as well as medical care and advice. All of this is provided in an effort to end homelessness in the city. The main support services from Pathways are below.

O’Hanlon House includes access to both a day centre as well as emergency accommodations. Another part of this service is resettlement. All of the O’Hanlon House programmes are for people over the age of 22 that are homeless or living in poverty.

The aim of the house is to provide short term accommodations and then project workers and the guest will partner together to move into some type of private accommodation or social housing in Oxfordshire. But first the cause of the homelessness needs to be addressed, so clients will participate in job training, budgeting, and other services.

As soon as someone moves into the Homeless Pathways O’Hanlon House, an assessment will take place, and based on the results of that, a support plan is created. This will involve working with other agencies for education or housing needs.

Some of the solutions can be welfare rights advice as well as help in finding safe and affordable homes. There will be employment plans put together, as well as a review of council schemes for rent deposits and similar aid. All of this will be done by support workers from Homeless Pathways in an effort to address the housing crisis and help a client enter into a tenancy agreement.

Long term housing and accommodations of up to 24 months are provided by Julian Housing. This is a form of second stage, and is for the formerly homeless. Since there is more time provided for clients, it allows more of an opportunity for people to gain new skills and gain the ability to find their own tenancy. The charity manages homes in Vineyard, Abingdon, Oxford, as well as other cities in the county.

The housing will end after the 24 months, at most. So people need to be saving their income, gaining new skills, and more during their stay. When ready, support workers from Homeless Pathways in Oxford will help explore accommodations such as Private Rented Sector, and assist with form completion for housing benefits and rent deposit schemes. They will also explore new furniture for the home, and ongoing advice for tenant tenant will be available from Pathway partners.

Medical care is offered for the homeless too, and this is part of the Oxford Homeless Medical Fund (OHMF). Volunteers will assist the vulnerable patient or homeless person, and a key partner of OHMF is the Luther Street Medical Centre. Clients can receive dental care, various GP services, and help with psychiatric or mental health issues too.

Housing first will help people move into a hostel or some other emergency accommodation, and there are single flats in Oxford. The rough sleeper will partner with Housing First support worker on pre-tenancy work, such as budgeting and saving. Once this has been done, the person will move from the flat, and they can apply for benefits and bond guarantees. This is done in coordination with support agencies across Oxfordshire. In some cases, people that need to stay longer, will transition into the Resettlement Floor programme, and this will provide the individual more time to address the crisis.

For more information on any of these housing services, contact the charity at O’Hanlon House, Luther Street, Oxford OX1 1UL, telephone 01865 304600.


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