A Stoke-on-Trent homelessness programme that has supported 107 people since 2023 will continue after the city secured £586,601 in government funding.
The Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme, known as SHAP, provides accommodation and specialist support for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Stoke-on-Trent City Council says the new award will keep the service running through to March 2029.
The programme is currently delivered by Brighter Futures and focuses on people who need more than a short-term bed for the night. Its work includes support for long-standing rough sleepers with complex needs and young people who are homeless or sleeping on the streets.
Support for rough sleepers and vulnerable young people
SHAP is aimed at two groups who can face repeated barriers when trying to leave homelessness behind: people with a long history of rough sleeping and complex support needs, and vulnerable young people without a safe place to live.
The service provides high-quality accommodation alongside one-to-one help. That support can include practical life skills, confidence-building and help to sustain a tenancy, rather than relying on repeated emergency placements.
For residents with complex needs, the difference can be the stability needed to engage with health, housing and support services. For young people, the programme is designed to reduce the risk of street homelessness becoming a longer-term pattern.
£586,601 keeps SHAP running to March 2029
The council has been awarded £586,601 of government funding to extend SHAP for at least another two years. The funding means the programme can continue beyond its current phase and remain in place until March 2029.
The scheme launched in 2023 and has since helped 107 people. According to the council, a number of residents have already moved on into regular housing with less intensive support.
The Stoke-on-Trent announcement follows a wider pressure on councils to reduce the use of costly emergency housing and build more stable routes out of homelessness. A similar shift toward supported accommodation has also been reported in another council housing programme focused on reducing B&B use.
Longer-term housing outcomes
The council says SHAP is built around sustained outcomes, not short-term fixes. That means residents are helped to remain in accommodation, develop practical skills and reduce the likelihood of returning to rough sleeping.
Supported accommodation can also ease pressure on temporary housing services. Emergency hotel or bed-and-breakfast placements are often expensive and do not always provide the specialist support needed by people with complex histories of homelessness.
By extending SHAP, Stoke-on-Trent City Council is linking the programme to its wider homelessness strategy, which prioritises prevention, stability and early support. The approach is intended to reduce crisis responses and give residents a more reliable route into permanent housing.
Council says scheme has changed lives
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning, improvement and governance at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the work already achieved by SHAP was “so important” and that he was pleased it would continue to support rough sleepers and people with complex needs until March 2029.
He said supported accommodation delivers better outcomes for individuals and that SHAP’s long-term approach reduces the likelihood of people returning to rough sleeping while easing pressure on temporary housing and frontline support.
“It has changed people’s lives for the better and has become an integral part of homelessness prevention in Stoke-on-Trent as we continue to work to reduce health inequalities and create a healthier standard of living for all,” he said.
Source: Stoke-on-Trent City Council
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This report is based on the published Stoke-on-Trent City Council announcement and keeps the funding, dates and service details tied to that source.
- Confirmed the programme name as the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme.
- Checked the reported government funding amount of £586,601.
- Checked the stated service extension date of March 2029.
- Matched the reported impact figure of 107 people helped since 2023.
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- Stoke-on-Trent City Council
- Scope
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Updated
- 2026-06-03 23:08
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