Could these 'Safe Space' sleeping pods be the way to help the homeless in our cities?

Charity Amazing Grace Spaces unveiled the pods in October 2018, hoping they could help tackle the rise in the number of rough sleepers in many cities, but had been unable to get funding or a site to keep them on.

In February Tom Brittain, assistant director of housing at City of York Council, told a meeting of councillors that thanks to new initiatives the number of people sleeping rough in the city had dropped from 29 in 2017 to nine in 2018 and there wasa “strong commitment” to reducing rough sleeping in the city.

At the same meeting, Cllr Chris Steward called for “tangible outcomes” rather than further meetings and asked what more could be done to help the council’s homeless team.

Last month Amazing Grace Spaces opened the first two sleeping pods in Newport, Wales, thanks to a businessman who gave them permission to set up on his site.

Residents get access to a bed, light, toilet and phone charger, in return for promising to keep a ‘dry house’ and to take part in 10 hours per week of work, volunteering or training.

Now one rough sleeper in Newport has said he believes it may have “saved” his life.

The man, who is not being named, had become so desperate to sleep somewhere warm he was prepared to commit a crime in order to have access to a “warm prison cell”. 

York Press: He became homeless in 2016 and said he has since divided his time between sleeping in doorways and tents in the city centre.

The 39-year-old, from Pill, said: “I was only moments away from doing something that would get me in prison,” he said. “It was so, so cold. It was freezing in the tent. I honestly thought I might die. The only place that I knew which would be warm is prison.”

But that all changed after he was invited by the charity Amazing Grace Spaces to use one of their newly-opened sleeping pods.

The man, who moved into one of the pods four weeks ago, said he now feels more positive about his future.

He said: “I love the pod. It is warm and dry. It is my new temporary home.

“You have everything you need in there really.

“I feel safe in there - that was not the case in the tent.

“Everyone has said I am looking better since being in the pod.

“It really did save my life.

“I now want to go into supportive living - that is my aim. I feel that my life is turning around.

York Press:

Inside the pods

And he has also called for more of the pods to be installed.

“I want to thank Stuart and Caroline Johnson, of Amazing Grace Spaces charity, for inviting me into the pod.”

The pods cost £5,500 each. The charity, which also builds bespoke modular homes for local councils and housing associations, under its subsidiary company Homes First, with all profits going back to help homeless people.