Former care home in Portsmouth could be transformed into 'exciting' development for homeless people

Plans a year in the making for the conversion of a former care home in Drayton into 13 self-contained flats, complete with en-suites and kitchens, are set to be decided next week.

As part of the proposals the two-storey Abbeyway House in Havant Road will be used as the first ever 'move-on' accommodation development in the city for homeless people who no longer need the highest level of support.

Trevor Pickup, the chief executive of homelessness charity the Society of St James which has submitted the plans, said: 'For us it's really very exciting and will offer a far better standard of accommodation - it's a step up from living in a shared house or a hostel.

'It's an opportunity to offer a greater level of independence, people will be able to do their own cooking and they will have their own en-suites.

'This will be the first of its kind in Portsmouth but we have provided accommodation like this in other places and it has proved very popular. We have already got a lot of people expressing an interest in living in these.'

It is planned a Society of St James worker will act as support from an on-site office. There will also be on-call security working overnight and a 24 hour helpline for residents to use.

Portsmouth City Council's housing boss, Councillor Darren Sanders, added: 'This is part of our drive to make sure the city's most vulnerable people have the housing they need. Move-on accommodation gives people hope of a better life.

'This property has been empty for a couple of years and the council can't afford to continue to leave properties empty for this length of time.'

The care home has been used to temporarily house rough sleepers during the coronavirus pandemic under government instruction but it is planned they will move out by the end of August.

Funds for the project will come from Homes England.

A decision on the application will be made at a virtual Portsmouth planning committee meeting on Wednesday, July 22.

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