Contract Award for the delivery of the Respite Room project in Camden

The MHCLG launched the Respite Room Trial Programme in June 2021 to enable local authorities to provide emergency accommodation and support in partnership with organisations specialising in homelessness and in issues surrounding violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Camden was one of 11 local authorities across the UK chosen to launch the programme and has received a grant of £491,388, to deliver the pilot project in partnership with the Single Homeless Project (SHP) who will be the provider. As part of the programme MHCLG have required local authorities to commit to starting their projects from 4th October 2021.

The aim of the project is to support women with complex needs who are unlikely to approach statutory services or the national domestic violence helpline and who are living on the streets or in precarious situations where they are at risk.

The scheme in Camden will be overseen by the Rough Sleeping Team, based in the Housing Support Services Directorate. Delivery of the scheme enhances the rough sleeping strategy, Routes off The Street (RTS), with its over-arching objective of ensuring that all rough sleepers in the borough receive a service that means they no longer have to sleep rough and are able to rebuild their lives away from the street.