We are leading the STAR Partnership (Supporting Tenancies, Accommodation and Reconnections), a specialist partnership with Thames Reach, Stonewall Housing and Praxis. Together, we provide specialist support for adults at risk of or experiencing homelessness, while improving all Londoners' ability to keep safe and secure homes.
We give London councils and boroughs an innovative, integrated approach to responding to homelessness. We work directly with boroughs to add value to existing local services, and support priority target groups as identified by London councils and borough officers.
Our partnership provides:
integrated multiple-point access for all users, enabling rapid response triage and advice
London-wide targeted engagement and promotion, to be relevant and accessible to key-priority groups in all 33 boroughs
support for users to directly access the private rented sector (PRS), and innovative housing solutions
safe and secure pathways into emergency accommodation
intensive support, including skills training, money management, and housing advice, enabling families and individuals to maintain their tenancies
personal resilience and independence planning to secure long-term, healthy, and happy homes
Shelter
We provide specialist housing, general welfare benefit and debt advice to all London residents. We do this through a range of face-to-face outreaches/drop-in services, and a dedicated telephone advice line, providing rapid-response triage and advice. As well as accessing specialist advice and support from other partners, our service users can use our in-house resilience service. This assesses the unmet need to help people improve their mental and physical health. We also have an information resource centre for those needing guided self-help and information.
Thames Reach
Thames Reach delivers face-to-face support to people with complex needs, including those in hotspots where rough sleepers gather, and those at risk of losing their tenancy due to anti-social behaviour, poor mental health, or drug and alcohol issues.
Our STAR Partnership team will take referrals from local authorities, registered housing providers or those living in the PRS, to prevent people from losing their tenancy and ending up on the streets, and to support those on the streets into accommodation.
We will enable people to access training and employment, and improve their physical and mental health. Mental health practitioners from Enabling Assessment Service London (EASL) will work alongside Thames Reach staff to provide specialist support.
Stonewall Housing
Stonewall Housing is a specialist lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) housing-advice and support provider in England. We provide supported housing for young LGBT people aged 16 to 25, and a small amount of supported accommodation for over-25s, as well as a free, confidential housing advice and an advocacy service for LGBT people of all ages. We also research and lobby for LGBT housing rights, and co-ordinate a national forum of organisations providing housing services to older LGBT people.
Praxis
Praxis offers specialist support to those whose immigration status acts as a barrier to accessing safe and secure housing. Praxis works with those who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness to overcome these barriers. The offer is open to those who are EU and non-EU migrants, including those who are undocumented with no practical means of demonstrating their status as well as those seeking Asylum support. They will either provide the necessary representation, or advice and onward referral
Find out more
For more information about the partnership, email londonservices@shelter.org.uk
