PRESS RELEASE: London Housing Foundation supports Spitalfields Crypt Trust Housing First Service

London Housing Foundation (LHF) is proud to announce a grant of £30,000 to Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT) to support their Housing First service.

London Housing Foundation is pleased to announce a grant of £30,000 to SCT in support of their highly effective Housing First service. This funding will help SCT continue to provide, long-term housing to vulnerable and multiply excluded people experiencing homelessness.

SCT’s Housing First service, launched in 2020, offers high-quality, well-appointed, self-contained one-bedroom and studio flats to individuals facing chronic health and social care challenges. Unlike many similar initiatives, SCT’s service is not government-funded or commissioned, allowing the team the flexibility to address the needs of those in the most critical situations.

Dr Louisa Snow, Interim CEO at SCT, highlighted the importance of this support, stating:

“Our residents have all experienced significant trauma, including physical and emotional abuse, often starting in childhood and continuing into adulthood. Most face complex challenges, including addiction and mental health needs, and have histories of long-term homelessness. Many have also had involvement with the criminal justice system. Without projects like ours, accessing stable housing would be nearly impossible for them. We know our approach works—86% of our residents maintain their tenancies, often for the first time in their adult lives.”

SCT takes a trauma-informed approach, providing residents with the support they need to maintain a tenancy and build strong foundations for the future. This includes assistance with physical and mental health needs, family connections, benefits, substance use issues and criminal justice issues

Over the past year, the project has made a significant impact, including:

• Helping a resident manage hoarding behaviours and improve daily life skills.
• Supporting an individual to remain alcohol-free for two years and reconnect with family after 12 years of homelessness.
• Supporting women in a residential setting, including women with children in local authority care, women who are at heightened risk of violence from a former partner and women who are at risk of sexual exploitation and coercion through sex work.

Ian Brady, Executive Chair of the London Housing Foundation, expressed his support for the initiative, stating:

“The board was extremely impressed with SCT’s Housing First service and its track record of success. We are proud to contribute to this vital work, ensuring that some of the most vulnerable people in our community have the support they need to rebuild their lives.”

The LHF remains committed to supporting organisations like SCT that are making a meaningful difference in the fight against homelessness.

The London Housing Foundation is a charitable trust committed to assisting the agencies which comprise the homelessness sector in London in securing a better future for single homeless people. For more information go to contact mark@markwall.co.uk

Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT) is a registered charity. For sixty years it has helped thousands of people find life beyond homelessness and addiction. SCT offers a residential addictions treatment programme, supported housing, training and development opportunities and a Housing First service. Its nine charity shops and two social enterprises, puts the charity at the heart of diverse communities across East London.