OPINION: Homes are at the heart of settled futures

The National Housing Federation’s #HomesattheHeart campaign this week puts housing at the forefront of providing settled futures for vulnerable people, with a key focus on supporting those who are already homeless or preventing those at risk from sleeping rough. As our organisation was founded out of a day shelter provision back in 1976, supporting the homeless has always been one of our main aims as we look to help people get their lives back on track. For those homeless, not having an address means finding employment and claiming benefits can be extremely difficult, whilst other issues such as lack of washing facilities and lack of access to IT equipment makes it very challenging to break into the job market. With COVID-19 seeing a sharp rise in people needing social housing,…

OPINION: Homes are at the Heart of a Greener Country

News, Paul's blog

After looking at the benefits housing has on the economy, living standards and making ends meet, this week’s focus in the National Housing Federation’s #HomesattheHeart campaign surrounds the idea of a greener country. A greener environment is an important way to promote positive mental health for some of our most vulnerable clients. A well-kept, outdoor space goes a long way to put a smile on people’s faces, either by spending time in a garden or park, or actively helping out in looking after them. Thanks to donations, a disused piece of land has been transformed at our Keighley accommodation into a communal outdoor space for clients who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a garden. With a vegetable patch allowing people to grow their own produce, this beautiful and peaceful plot…

Horton’s services during COVID-19 outbreak

News

This is a challenging time for all of us and we are doing our best to keep our services running as smoothly as possible and provide vital support for vulnerable people in Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale and North Yorkshire. Wherever possible, we are providing floating support to our clients over the telephone and online. In emergency situations, when we need to visit a client in their own home, we are maintaining social distancing and doing everything we can to minimise face-to-face contact. We are taking extra infection control measures within our accommodation schemes to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes asking clients to self-isolate if they are displaying any symptoms of the virus, closing communal areas and limiting visitors. We will only be carrying out emergency and urgent…