A Christian charity has unveiled its plan to tackle the rough sleeping crisis in Reading by providing emergency beds.
The Salvation Army is a church and charitable organisation that provides practical support to vulnerable people throughout the UK, and from its locations in Reading.
Its Willow House site in the town centre is a ‘Lifehouse’ which provides specialised housing and support services for single adults experiencing homelessness or with complex needs, such as substance dependency or mental health issues.
Located in Willow Street, it provides roughly 38-44 spaces, short-term assessment places, and longer-term accommodation.
The Salvation Army works with Reading Borough Council to tackle homelessness, provides emergency beds when Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) procedures are active and is a beneficiary of the Tap for Reading initiative, which allows people to donate to a series of charities as an alternative to giving money to beggars.
Now the Christian charity is planning to help even more by its NAPpad Night-time Accommodation Project, which involves installing a new modular building to provide more emergency bed spaces.
The building will provide four lighted and heated ‘micro-flats’, each with its own bed, toilet and handwashing facilities.
In order to install the building at Willow House, the Salvation Army requires planning permission from the council.
Justifying the project, a JYM Partnership planning agent stated: “The NAPpad will be used to provide an alternative form of accommodation for those individuals who may not thrive in the busy environment of the main service and will also provide an improved service for those people who may need shelter in severe weather.
“Severe weather provision is provided in the main building when temperatures are very low, very high, or there are severe rains, winds or storms.
“The COVID-19 pandemic emphasised the need, not just for a safer alternative to the street, but also, for a safer alternative to dormitory-style night shelters and to traditional ‘sit up’ and SWEP services. The pilot NAPpad is very high specification; warm, safe and private – and embodies the values that The Salvation Army places on people who may otherwise end up sleeping rough.”
Each room will also be equipped with ‘signs of life’ technology, which will be monitored from the main Willow House Lifehouse building.
The modular building, provided by the company Protectal, is mobile and has been provided to other homelessness charities such as Shelter.
The Salvation Army has piloted the NAPpad in York, with Jay, a former rough sleeper, saying: If I was to be homeless, this would be a lifesaver.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/26/0387 into the council’s planning portal.
The charity runs churches in Castle Street, Oxford Road and Lower Earley.
