Since the opening of the Justlife Health & Enterprise Centre in April 2011 many of those using the Centre have required support around housing and Justlife staff have assisted 87 people to move from B&B to shared and supported housing with a small number moving into private rented accommodation.In 2011 Manchester City Council supported Justlife’s successful bid to DCLG via Crisis for 12 months funding for the ‘Justlife at Home’ Project. Having been successful in this bid, the PRS scheme manager is well on the way to hitting the target of helping 30 single, non-statutory homeless people to overcome financial barriers to renting, match them with landlords, and provide support to all parties. Seven months into the project we can report 15 new tenancies with the private rented sector (PRS) across Manchester.Rob* is one of the 15 people who has been helped by Justlife at Home:Rob had a history of working and was married with two children. But in 2007 relationship breakdown hit him hard and he found himself homeless. Homelessness and a deterioration of mental health meant that he had to quit his job.In May 2012 Rob had nowhere else to go and started rough sleeping. The Booth Centre found him a room at Parklands Hotel, but sharing with a chaotic drug user compounded his poor state of mental health. He needed a home. He was referred to ‘Justlife at Home’ and we successfully rehoused him into a two bedroom flat in Moston at the beginning of July 2012. With our support he has been able to create a stable home. He has begun to reengage with family and friends and his mental health significantly improved. In September he undertook a work placement with Bruntwood and has subsequently secured a permanent job with them. *Name changed for confidentiality and stock photograph used.
