Oasis Community Housing is one of just four award-winners at the annual Homeless Link Excellence Awards, which celebrate the best of the homelessness and supported housing sector.
The charity was winner of the ‘Home Safe’ award, which recognises an organisation that creates high quality, affordable accommodation options for people experiencing homelessness, enabling them to have the right to open and close their own front door and feel safe and secure in their own accommodation.
Claire Temple, who leads Oasis Community Housing’s Crisis Services team, said: “We’re delighted to have won the ‘Home Safe’ award, which is everything we want for the people we support.
“To be recognised by the homelessness sector itself is a real honour and acknowledges all of our staff’s passion, patience, care, commitment and the extra mile they give to each and every one of the people we are helping in their move out of housing crisis or from sleeping on the street.”
A nine-strong judging panel led the Homeless Link Excellence Awards, with expertise drawn from across the housing and health sectors, awarded Oasis Community Housing for their ‘Basis Beds’ project which provides people with multiple and complex needs the opportunity to have a home of their own.
Basis Beds houses individuals, as well as couples, who may otherwise struggle to access housing using surplus local authority housing stock, which is refurbished. Many housed through Basis Beds have often tried and failed to live in hostels, social housing or with other accommodation providers. The support the charity provides is flexible and co-designed, helping individuals settle into their new home and develop essential life skills.
Rick Henderson, CEO at Homeless Link, the national membership charity for frontline homelessness organisations, said: “Everyone should have the right to open and close their own front door. By creating homes for people to stay and not be moved on from, the Basis Beds project shows us a pathway to high quality affordable accommodation that is sustainable and provides people with the support they need to thrive.”