Norwich South MP Clive Lewis visited St Martins this week to learn more about the charity’s work supporting people experiencing homelessness, poor mental health, substance dependency and social exclusion across the city.
During the visit, Clive Lewis was welcomed by David Powles, Chief Executive of St Martins, who showed him two very different but interconnected services: Under 1 Roof, the charity’s learning and development centre, and neighbouring Highwater House, a specialist residential care home for people with a history of homelessness and substance dependency.
At Under 1 Roof, Clive met Lucy Bone who heads up the service and several people supported by St Martins who spoke candidly about the challenges they face navigating systems intended to provide support. Conversations focused on the impact of poor mental health, disability, poverty and the increasing complexity of accessing welfare and other services.
Those attending described how everyday tasks, from obtaining disability support to securing essential services, can become lengthy and exhausting battles. One participant spoke about living in fear of losing support, while another described a two-year struggle to obtain a bus pass. Lucy reflected that “everything’s a battle” for many people accessing support today.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of community spaces such as Under 1 Roof. The centre welcomes between 35 and 40 people through its doors each day, providing opportunities for learning, social connection and support. Lucy explained that the service offers more than practical help, creating a place where people can feel welcome, safe and connected to others.
Clive Lewis spoke about the wider social and economic pressures contributing to homelessness and poor mental health, including the shortage of affordable housing, pressures on local services and the loss of community networks. He agreed that it is important to have places where people can build relationships and access support when they need it most.
The visit then moved to Highwater House, St Martins’ specialist registered care home for people who require intensive, long-term support. There, Clive met Iain Boag, who explained the home’s trauma-informed approach and challenged assumptions that independence should always be the ultimate goal for everyone.
Iain described how some people who have experienced severe trauma, homelessness, addiction and mental ill health may need ongoing support to live well and safely. Rather than focusing solely on moving people on as quickly as possible, Highwater House works to create a genuine home environment where residents can rebuild stability, relationships and confidence at their own pace.
The conversation explored how long-term, person-centred care can improve outcomes for individuals while also reducing demand on emergency services, hospitals and the criminal justice system. Clive Lewis said he was struck by the way St Martins has developed specialist services to meet a wide range of needs under one organisation, describing the scale and depth of the charity’s work as impressive.
The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the wider challenges facing homelessness services in Norwich and Norfolk. St Martins highlighted the growing demand for support, increasing complexity of need, continued pressure on local authority budgets and the shortage of affordable housing that makes it difficult for people to move on into stable homes.
David Powles thanked Clive Lewis for taking the time to visit and listen to people with lived experience of homelessness and the staff who support them every day. The charity continues to call for sustainable long-term funding, investment in affordable housing, stronger homelessness prevention measures and reforms that help people access the support they need before reaching crisis point.
Conversation centred on the Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to get ‘everybody in’ – those that are sleeping rough – before Christmas. The intention is welcome, but it is a sticking plaster over the complex and long term issues that cause homelessness.
As the visit demonstrated, ending homelessness requires more than providing a roof over someone’s head. It requires long-term support, thriving communities and services that are designed around the needs of the individual. That is the approach St Martins continues to champion across Norwich every day.