About Us
Who we are
We are a Braintree based charity seeking to help break the cycle of homelessness by the provision of temporary supported accommodation for homeless adults. As a charity, we were established in 2012 in response to the level of homelessness in Braintree.
Hope House Essex consists of two mortgaged properties. The first was purchased in October 2016 which originally accommodated three residents, before a decision was made to divide one of the larger rooms into two, and we have increased our current accommodation to four residents with shared facilities but individual bedrooms. Due to increasing demand, and the opportunity to purchase the house next door, we opened our second house in June 2019 and accommodated four additional residents.
Hope House Essex is run by volunteer trustees with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. We employ two part-time support workers and a house co-ordinator/bookkeeper to oversee the day to day running of the houses. The rest of the Hope House team is made up of volunteers who help with a variety of activities including fundraising, bid writing, and befriending current residents, as well as those who have successfully moved on.
What we do
Our Mission
We endeavour to provide a safe and secure place to enable our residents to get themselves back on their feet. With personalised support and care, we prepare our residents to make progress towards a more settled and independent way of living. We actively promote a sense of security and self-worth, and respect for the dignity of all.
Our Charitable Objectives
- The relief of poverty by the provision of emergency and other accommodation, advice, and assistance for persons in need who are deemed homeless and require such accommodation, advice or assistance including signposting to agencies or organisations of further support.
- The relief of physical and mental illness of persons in need, especially but not exclusively by reason of addiction to alcohol or drugs, in particular by providing accommodation where lacking, counselling, and support.
- The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit, especially among youth, ex-offenders, or others in danger of social exclusion, by relieving their needs and giving support.
Who we help
Hope House Essex has worked with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and we have worked with homeless people from Braintree and the surrounding areas to help them to break the cycle of homelessness both through our properties and the Hope House Community.
We work with individuals who are sleeping rough, sleeping in a car with all of their belongings or sofa-surfing (the practice of staying temporarily with various friends and relatives while attempting to find permanent accommodation).
We will consider referrals from Braintree District Council, probation, prison, other agencies and self-referrals.
How we are funded
We do not receive any funding from the Government and rely heavily on donations from the local community, businesses, fundraising and applying for grants. We are always looking for more support, so if you can help us make a difference today, please use the button below.