- Project focus: Accessible housing
- Who it supports: People experiencing homelessness with mobility needs
- Housing created: Two adapted, fully accessible homes
Cornerstone Supported Housing & Counselling provides housing and support for people experiencing homelessness across County Durham and Hartlepool, with a strong focus on community and lived experience. The charity provides food, shelter, community spaces and vocational training for people facing homelessness, helping to build essential life skills.
Their project, called Inclusive Pathways, is all about ensuring that accommodation is built with mobility needs is at the forefront. Their service has encountered a growing need for accessible housing for people experiencing homelessness who also have mobility needs. By adapting two existing properties, Inclusive Pathways will create two fully accessible, self-contained homes for people with mobility issues. Adjustments include structural adaptations such as level access, accessible wet rooms and layout changes like lowered worktops, to support independent living. The result will be a fully accessible ground floor studio apartment in Durham, with its own entrance and access, as well as a second adapted, fully accessible property in Hartlepool, all supported by their experienced staff team.
This project responds directly to a significant gap in accessible accommodation. By sharing detailed learning on design, cost and delivery, it will provide valuable learning to help other organisations improve access and develop similar inclusive housing options, for a group that is often overlooked and can face additional barriers and exclusion in mainstream services.
