Cowley St John church to create modular homeless homes

Cowley St John Parochial Church in East Oxford is one of only eight projects nationwide to receive funding from national homelessness charity St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity through its new Access to Accommodation Fund.

This new scheme supports grassroots organisations in creating and scaling ‘creative’ housing solutions.

Reverend Martha Weatherill, vicar of Cowley St John, said: “When the church was built 150 years ago, it was built for the marginalised, so we’re carrying on that legacy.

“Anyone who knows Oxford thinks of education – the colleges and spires – and yet in East Oxford a lot of children don’t complete secondary school.

“Homeless figures are high. We have the space, but it’s not being used, and if we can turn that into homes that could change lives, that will make an important difference.

“It’s even more exciting to think our work could provide a model for other parts of the country to follow.”

The church plans to build four modular homes on unused land in Magdalen Road.

Each home will include a bedroom, bathroom and fully fitted kitchen, and will be made available to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Construction is set to begin within the next six months, with the homes expected to be completed within a year.

This is the first time in Oxford that unused church land has been used for homeless accommodation.

The homes will also offer ‘wraparound’ support to residents.

Cowley St John Parochial Church was chosen from nearly 100 applicants.

The selection was based on the project’s potential to create accommodation, its understanding of the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness, its involvement of individuals with lived experience in its design and delivery, and its potential to be scaled up or replicated elsewhere.

Duncan Shrubsole, CEO of St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity, said: “Locally based homelessness charities are on the frontline of our housing crisis, facing rising need and ever greater challenges in trying to find affordable, appropriate accommodation to rehouse people in.

“We hope this programme demonstrates that new accommodation solutions are still possible and that it will encourage government, local councils and other funders to invest in similar such initiatives so more people can have a safe and secure place to call home.”

According to the charity’s annual survey of frontline workers, 83 per cent reported difficulties in accessing suitable accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.

Meanwhile, 55 per cent said the situation had worsened over the past year.