If you need somewhere to live in Stoke-on-Trent and renting a flat on the open market is not realistic right now, supported housing may be an option. This page explains what it is, in plain language, without the jargon.

What supported housing is

It is somewhere to live that comes with help attached. You get your own room in a shared house, and support from someone whose job is to help you keep it.

It is not a hostel and it is not a care home. It is an ordinary house on an ordinary street. Our houses normally have between two and four bedrooms, so you are living with a small number of people rather than a crowd. You have your own room and you share the kitchen and bathroom.

It is usually meant to be temporary — somewhere to get things stable before moving on to something more permanent.

Who it is for

  • You are homeless, or about to be
  • You are leaving prison with nowhere to go
  • You are leaving hospital and cannot go back to where you were
  • You have left home because of domestic abuse
  • You are a care leaver living independently for the first time
  • You are in recovery and need somewhere settled to do it
  • A relationship or family situation has broken down and you have had to leave

None of this is unusual. The council’s homelessness hub in Hanley helps over 900 people every month, and nearly 1,500 people moved into supported housing across the city in a single year. You are not the only one in this position.

What you get

Every one of our houses comes the same way, so there are no surprises:

  • Your own room in a shared house of two to four bedrooms
  • The house is fully furnished — you do not need to bring or buy furniture
  • All bills are included. Gas, electricity and water are covered, so there is nothing to set up and no bills arriving in your name
  • No deposit. There is nothing to find up front before you move in
  • Someone to contact when something goes wrong with the house
  • A named support worker who helps with benefits, appointments and planning what comes next
  • A support plan worked out with you, not written about you

What it costs

In most cases you will not be paying the rent out of your own pocket. Where a property comes with care, support or supervision, the rent is usually covered by Housing Benefit rather than the housing part of Universal Credit. In practice that usually means it is paid directly and you are not expected to find it each month.

There is a service charge, and the amount depends on the property. There is no deposit, so there is nothing to save up before you can move in. If money is the thing stopping you from asking, it should not be.

What is expected of you

  • Treat the other people in the house decently. You do not have to like them. You do have to be civil.
  • Keep the shared spaces reasonably clean.
  • No violence, no threats, no dealing from the property.
  • Engage with your support worker — answer the door, turn up.
  • Tell us when something changes, so we can help rather than find out later.

Nobody expects you to get everything right straight away. If you are struggling, the most useful thing you can do is say so early.

How to apply

The quickest way is to fill in the application form on our Tenants page. It takes a few minutes and you do not need to have anything prepared.

APPLY FOR A ROOM

Fill in the application form on our Tenants page and we will come back to you.
https://mkmhousing.co.uk/tenants/#contact-section11

If you have a worker, they can do it for you. If you already have a support worker, probation officer, social worker, nurse or housing officer, they are welcome to get in touch on your behalf. That is often quicker, because they can send everything we need in one go.

If you are homeless right now. Contact Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Housing Solutions Service as well. They have a legal duty to help if you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within the next 56 days. There is an online form on the council’s website for people who are threatened with homelessness — and it is worth knowing you have to complete that one yourself, because support agencies are not able to fill it in for you. If you are homeless tonight, the council has an out-of-hours number and will call you back the same day.

If you are sleeping rough, or you are worried about someone who is, the council runs a free Rough Sleeper Outreach line. You can also report it through StreetLink.

A last word

Asking for help with housing is not a failure. Most people who come to us are in the middle of something difficult that was not entirely of their making, and most of them move on to something settled.

Fill in the application form and we will come back to you. If someone is helping you look, they are welcome to contact us on your behalf.