Plans to transform shipping containers into a new modular home village for rough-sleepers have been submitted to Manchester City Council this week.
Following public consultation, Embassy – which is supported by Peel L&P and CAPITAL&CENTRIC – is planning a new community to help the city’s homeless and vulnerable get back on their feet.
The Embassy Village will provide up to 40 permanent modular homes made from repurposed shipping containers on a self-contained, currently-derelict site below the railway arches between the Bridgewater Canal and River Irwell.
It will provide ‘safe and secure’ accommodation for those who are homeless, or are at risk of being homeless, with in-house start-to-end support, and routes into work.
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📢We’re buzzing to announce that our #EmbassyVillage plans for a housing-led community in Manchester have been submitted to the council, which will provide much needed wrap-around support & give the city’s homeless & vulnerable men their own front door @CapitalCentric@PeelLandPpic.twitter.com/qUU41jjKm6
The Embassy Village will also include a Village Hall – a community hub, training and mentoring facility for residents – as well as communal outdoor space with plenty of greenery, a multi use sports area, space to grow vegetables, and external eating and socialising areas.
The charity’s team of re-settlement workers and volunteers will provide wrap-around support of at least six hours per week, per resident, to equip them with a range of life skills designed to help residents “unpack past traumas” and “grow in confidence”.
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The self-contained site will be managed 24/7 by Embassy’s experienced team.
Embassy / Peel L&P / CAPITAL&CENTRIC
Speaking on the submitted plans, Sid Williams – Founder of Embassy – said: “The big need in Manchester is to find a way to cut the time it takes for an individual to move on from homelessness.
“Last year, we housed a chap who had spent seven years going from shelter to shelter waiting for council housing to come up [so] Embassy Village will help reduce the burden on the council’s housing waiting list and end people’s homelessness on the day they arrive.
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“As residents will be renting their Embassy Village homes, we also hope to instil a strong sense of empowerment from day one.
“Embassy Village is being specifically designed as a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol consumption community [and] critically, we train our residents to manage their money and home and support them into full-time employment with a wide range of Manchester based, full-time employers [which] means most people leave us to live in normal rental accommodation without the need for benefits thereafter.
“Our brilliant team continue to support our residents with aftercare visits and mentoring in the months after they move on to their next chapter, helping to keep them on an even keel as they reintegrate back into society”.
Embassy / Peel L&P / CAPITAL&CENTRIC
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon – ward member for Hulme – added: “After consultation with councillors and residents with full details of the proposed accommodation, l support the Embassy proposed homeless housing in an under used site on the edge of the canal in the St Georges area.”
“In a city that struggles to offer homes this unique opportunity enables a place of security, advice and rebuilding of vulnerable adults.
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“The high quality accommodation will be supported by measures including job opportunities, mental health support and training in life skills in stylish accommodation in an independent, well-lit environment with on-site support.
“[Embassy Village] will work in partnership with Manchester City Council and others in the city, and bring a new chapter for those living in their new homes”.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home
Emily Sergeant
The Council is now offering financial help to support people moving into a smaller and ‘more manageable’ property.
Ever heard of ‘rightsizing? Well, according Manchester City Council it’s a process where a tenant in a larger social rent, Council, or Housing Association property, that may have more rooms than they need or perhaps are struggling to manage a big house as they get older, can be supported into a smaller property that better suits their needs.
The benefits of this process include cheaper bills, lower rents, and overall, just homes that are easier to clean and manage.
The aim of it is also to free up larger Council properties for families who are on the housing register – of which there are said to be around 20,000 of them currently at this time, with larger homes having some of the most significant wait times.
Are you struggling to look after a big Council or housing association home? We can help!
We are offering £2,500 to help people move into a smaller more manageable home, freeing up larger homes for families that need them.
It’s also estimated, according to the Council, that a third of all social rented family homes are thought to ‘underoccupied’.
This is why financial support and grants are now being offered.
Last year alone, 109 households were helped to ‘rightsize’ and were supported in the process by a dedicated team of Council officers, as well as benefitting from the Rightsizing Incentive Scheme – with a further 432 households having expressed interest doing so in the future.
Residents interested in ‘rightsizing’ could get a cash incentive of £2,500, which can be spent on anything they like, along with moving costs.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“Rightsizing could be a brilliant option for older people who are renting a Council home who may have spare rooms they don’t need or would benefit from looking after a smaller property,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development.
“Often a barrier to moving is the cost, but the Council will take care of the financial burden to help a resident move into a new home.
“The benefit for the city is that we can free up more larger homes for people who are waiting for a property that properly meets their needs. We think around a third of Council tenants could be under occupying their home, which means they could be paying more than they need to or they could be hit with the bedroom tax.”
Does this sound like you? Are you ready to ‘rightsize’? Find out more and begin the process via Manchester City Council’s website here.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Trailer released for Netflix’s new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’
Emily Sergeant
The trailer for Netflix’s new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby has been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby – the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital – hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film – simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby – is described as being the most ‘comprehensive’ look at one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given ‘unparalleled and exclusive access’ to those central to the story.
“This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility,” commented director, Dominic Sivyer. “Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case.”
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions – who produced the documentary – added: “The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone’s perspectives with care and understanding.
“We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th May 2021 
