A Stoke-on-Trent homelessness programme that has supported 107 people since 2023 will continue until March 2029 after the city secured £586,601 in government funding.
The Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme, known as SHAP, provides supported accommodation for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. It focuses on long-standing rough sleepers with complex needs and young people who are homeless or sleeping on the streets.
The service is run by Brighter Futures and is designed to give people a stable place to live alongside specialist one-to-one support. Stoke-on-Trent City Council says the extension will keep the scheme operating for at least another two years.
Support for rough sleepers and young homeless people
SHAP is aimed at people who are least likely to be helped by short-term emergency responses alone. That includes residents who have spent long periods sleeping rough, often while dealing with poor health, trauma, addiction, mental health pressures or a lack of family support.
The programme also works with vulnerable young people who are homeless or at risk of street homelessness. For that group, early help can be decisive, because a first spell without stable housing can quickly become harder to break without support.
Rather than offering only a temporary bed, SHAP combines accommodation with practical help. Residents can receive support to manage a tenancy, build confidence, develop daily living skills and prepare for a move into more independent housing.
The same model is being used in other parts of the country as councils try to reduce reliance on emergency accommodation. A recent supported housing scheme in Shrewsbury reported savings after moving people away from bed and breakfast placements and into more stable accommodation.
£586,601 award keeps SHAP running to 2029
The new funding award is worth £586,601 and will extend the Stoke-on-Trent programme through to March 2029. The council said the money comes from government funding for the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme.
Since launching in 2023, SHAP has helped 107 people. The council said some people using the service have already moved on into regular housing with less intensive support.
That move-on stage is a central part of the programme. Supported accommodation is intended to reduce the chance of people returning to rough sleeping by helping them stabilise first, rather than moving too quickly into housing they may struggle to keep.
For the council, the extension also fits into a wider homelessness strategy focused on prevention, stability and early intervention. Emergency hotel and bed and breakfast placements can be expensive and are often less suitable for people with complex needs.
A similar reader need sits behind local crisis support schemes, including Nottingham’s crisis and housing support fund, where residents are directed towards help before a housing problem becomes a full emergency.
Fewer short-term fixes for complex homelessness
Homelessness services are often judged by how quickly they can get someone off the street, but SHAP is built around longer-term outcomes. The council says the scheme supports people to sustain accommodation, learn practical skills and move towards a healthier standard of living.
That approach matters because rough sleeping is rarely only a housing issue. People with complex needs may require sustained contact with support workers, help attending appointments, budgeting support, safeguarding, or a gradual move towards independent tenancy management.
For frontline services, the benefit can also be wider than the individual case. If fewer people return to rough sleeping, there is less pressure on temporary housing, outreach teams, health services and other emergency support.
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning, improvement and governance at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the scheme had become part of the city’s homelessness prevention work.
“The work the SHAP scheme has already achieved in helping vulnerable people in our city is so important, which is why I am pleased it will continue to support rough sleepers and their complex needs until March 2029,” he said.
He added that supported accommodation can deliver better outcomes and reduce the likelihood of people returning to the streets, while easing pressure on temporary housing and frontline services.
Source: Stoke-on-Trent City Council
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This report is based on Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s published announcement and keeps the funding, dates and service details aligned with that source.
- Confirmed the £586,601 funding figure from the council announcement.
- Checked that SHAP is reported as continuing through to March 2029.
- Matched the reported 107 people helped since the programme launched in 2023.
- Identified the programme operator as Brighter Futures.
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- Stoke-on-Trent City Council
- Scope
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Updated
- 2026-06-03 22:53
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