For many people in Plymouth, the journey to a safe and secure home can be long, emotional and lifechanging. Last year, hundreds of families and individuals moved out of instability and into permanent housing with support from Plymouth Community Homes — including one resident who shared her experience:
“My child and I moved into our first home in October 2025, and I am so grateful that we now have our own home and our own space. It’s taken me just over three years to get this home, after having to live with my mum and in a mother and baby unit until now due to not having a home. We were able to enjoy our first Christmas together in our new home.” — PCH resident
Stories like theirs highlight the profound impact that secure, long term housing can have — and why PCH’s work to address homelessness remains so vital.
Importantly, when we talk about homelessness, we’re not just referring to people sleeping on the streets. Many residents we help are living in temporary accommodation, sofa surfing with friends or family, or otherwise without a stable place to call home. It is this wider homelessness picture that PCH continues to prioritise in partnership with Plymouth City Council and local agencies — ensuring support reaches those who need it most.
Throughout 2025, PCH continued to deliver on its commitment to provide homes for people registered as homeless. In 2025, 223 homes were let to people in homelessness need — a significant contribution to citywide efforts to reduce the use of temporary accommodation and help residents move into safe, long-term housing.
This sits within a wider picture of 597 total lets across PCH during the same period, meaning almost 38% of all allocations went directly to people experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
PCH also made a substantial impact in 2024, providing 334 homes to people who were homeless, alongside 727 total lets across the year. This demonstrates a consistent commitment to supporting vulnerable residents and relieving pressure on temporary accommodation.
Homes are allocated through Devon Home Choice, the housing register used across Devon to ensure that social housing is allocated fairly and consistently. All applicants – including those experiencing homelessness – are assessed and prioritised through the system based on their level of housing need. (For residents in our Cornwall stock, properties are allocated through Cornwall Home Choice.)
Alongside the day-to-day work of letting homes, PCH has also taken major steps this year to strengthen long term homelessness prevention.
PCH continues to be a key partner in the Housing First programme, which supports people with the most complex needs into permanent accommodation with wraparound support. Last year, additional roles were created within Plymouth Access to Housing (PATH) to enhance intensive tenancy support, and partners — including PCH, Plymouth City Council, Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, and PATH began developing a new service level agreement signalling major momentum for the programme’s growth.
Targeted tenancy support remains high on the agenda and a new Service Level Agreement has been drafted to further strengthen partnership working. Funding has now been agreed to extend the wellbeing officer role and add an additional tenancy support officer from April 2026.
Work has continued on the Young Person Pilot Scheme, supporting care experienced or at risk young people into safe accommodation. The programme evaluation is ongoing, with young people actively contributing feedback that will shape future delivery.
Early work has begun with Livewell Southwest to explore new pathways preventing homelessness for people being discharged from acute mental health settings — an area of growing need locally.
Georgia Spinks, Housing Choices Manager at Plymouth Community Homes, said: “Addressing homelessness remains a key priority, based on the belief that everyone should have access to a safe and secure home. We have continued to strengthen our work with local charities and partner organisations to deliver a more joined-up response for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This has helped improve move-on opportunities and ensure support is targeted effectively.
“Alongside this, we are working closely with strategic partners, including PCC and Livewell, to deliver initiatives aimed at reducing the use of temporary accommodation. This includes a dedicated workstream with PCC to identify permanent housing options for families and individuals, and to address barriers that can delay access to a long-term home.”
