Ilford
“Our vision is for this to be the first, not a one-off” – Captain John Clifton, church leader.
Summary
Ilford Salvation Army run Malachi Place: 42 self-contained homes for those at risk of homelessness. 15 of these spaces are for people with no recourse to public funds, who do not pay rent. The others are paid for through housing benefit at the supported accommodation rate. While the Salvation Army is well known for providing homelessness hostels, these are usually run independently of their churches. This is the first Salvation Army church to directly run a hostel.
Malachi Place is only possible because of innovative building methods. The land used will be redeveloped in 10 years, so they needed something that could be built and dismantled quickly. The building is made of ‘volumetric modular units’, meaning that it was built elsewhere and simply reassembled onsite. They have a five-year lease, and after 3 years, they will consider future options: whether the units should be redeployed elsewhere or whether they can extend their lease.
John explains that ‘it’s not just about having a roof over their head’. Malachi Place provides structure and a routine to those living there, while support staff are on hand to provide tailored assistance to each resident, including teaching them independent living skills. Partners RAMFEL (Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London) help those with no recourse to public funds to put together a legal case to get this overturned. They’re even establishing a bike refurbishment social enterprise to offer residents employment skills. The self-contained nature of the units was important for privacy but also made it easier for them to continue safely through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background
Ilford Salvation Army had run a night shelter since 2011. After a few years, they wanted to find a more sustainable response to homelessness – to ‘give them a proper base’. Many of those they were helping have no recourse to public funds. This means that they often end up on the street. The church aspired to house them more securely – something which is proving even more critical after the ‘Everyone In’ policy in response to COVID-19.
In 2016, they noticed a bit of land across the road was sitting empty. Captain John Clifton, their church leader, had come across the idea of ‘meanwhile use’ – where empty land and buildings are rented to others while their primary user isn’t using them. John knew that the land wouldn’t be available forever – it was going to be redeveloped – but thought that it was a shame that it was only going to be used as a car park in the meantime.
They couldn’t build a permanent hostel – the land was needed within the next ten years. Working with experienced consultant Andy Redfearn from LivShare Consulting, they came up with a solution to erect temporary modular units.
This wouldn’t be cheap, so they started fundraising. One of the first donations they received was £5 from a boy called Malachi – money from the tooth fairy. They decided to name the scheme ‘Malachi Place’ in his honour.
It would also require council buy-in – it was their land, and could only work financially if, along with those with no recourse to public funds, they housed people who were eligible for housing support.
The church had previously taken part in campaigns as part of London Citizens, so had experience of working to get action from the council. In fact, they already had a track record of working well with the council, not just lobbying them, having previously helped to house some children from ‘The Jungle’ in Calais. These established relationships were incredibly important for building trust.
The final piece in the puzzle was demonstrating local support for the scheme. They put together a sponsoring committee of different faith leaders, turned out 100 people to the council meeting for the planning application, 80 letters were sent in support, and 400 people signed a petition. The council, and particularly the Leader Cllr Jas Athwal, were very supportive of the project and provided the land, along with £2.5 million for the new units.
The final scheme took quite a bit of negotiation. Originally, the idea was for the Salvation Army to cover all the up-front costs, before the council would buy 27 of the units off them. While the financial model had to be modified, the desire on all sides to make the project work helped get past this. It was eventually decided that the council would own all of the units.
Impact
Although they only opened in 2020, they had built up a reputation by this point because of the professionalism and ambition of their campaign. They had significant media attention, and their innovative model became well known in the homelessness sector. Since then, they have been able to respond well to the COVID-19 pandemic because of the careful infrastructure and support put in place, and particularly the self-contained nature of the accommodation. John also says it’s been ‘a wonderful way to build the life of the church’.
What do you need?
It took many years from having the idea until Malachi Place was built. Even after they found the land, it took 4 years to get the scheme agreed and built.
Personnel
The campaign and construction management was a considerable commitment for their church leader over several years.
They have also been boosted by good relationships with others in the area, both through Citizens and other faith venues.
Malachi Place has a large team of employees, including support workers, night concierge, a service manager and a programme co-ordinator. Some of these employees had previously been involved in the night shelter.
Finances and land
Malachi Place has been allocated land free of charge by the council, who paid £2.5 million for the construction of the building. At the end of the 5 years, the Salvation Army has the option to buy the units from the council, in order to redeploy them elsewhere.
The council pays housing benefit at supported accommodation rates for 27 of the units. Along with funding from the Salvation Army and other donations, this covers the running costs of the whole hostel.
The Salvation Army committed £1.7 million to the running costs, and the church has raised an additional £250k.
Tips
Although John believes that this could work in many other places, he acknowledges the need for political support, in particular from the local council.
‘With any negotiation you have to be able to offer something’. What money, volunteers or political opportunity are you providing? Letters of support and turnout at events can be particularly important in applying pressure.
Show that you are meeting a need, particularly one that is a priority for the council. Redbridge Council already wanted to help those with no recourse to public funds, but they were unable to do so alone. This made them more interested in the Salvation Army’s proposal.
You can find out more about Malachi Place here, or contact them through Ilford Salvation Army.
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