Keep Helen Dixon House a Women’s only long term supported hostel

I have recently been made aware that Trident Group who run Helen Dixon House in Moseley are turning it from a Womens only long term supported hostel to ‘mixed emergency’ (one month) provision.

Trident Group Housing Association provide homeless service provision contracted by Birmingham City Council. In response to Birmingham City Council’s decision to move to a different model of service delivery Trident Group are moving to a localised emergency bed model. They will be closing their 101 bed hostel, Washington Court, and instead provide emergency beds from smaller locations outside of the city centre.

Helen Dixon House in Moseley has been identified as a hostel that will change from a ‘female only long term supported’ site to ‘mixed housing emergency provision’. It is due to change provision on 30th November.

Trident Group have given the three remaining female residents two weeks notice of the change of provision under ‘exempt licence’ rules, and are supporting them to find alternative accommodation.

Helen Dixon House as a women’s hostel, has been an important part of the Moseley community for many years. It is one of the very few hostels in Birmingham where vulnerable women can feel safe and also have a reasonable length of tenancy in order to gain confidence, become involved in the community and get back on their feet.

Female residents from Helen Dixon House have the support of a drop in and activities at Moseley Hive and work closely with a nearby charity, Anawim, who specifically support women who have suffered trauma, violence or abuse.

Homeless outreach officers will agree that many women are too frightened to enter mixed emergency provision and will even feel safer out on the street or in an abusive relationship.

To close Helen Dixon House as a safe hostel where women can rebuild their lives is a travesty to vulnerable women across the city. 
I have launched a petition to keep Helen Dixon House a women’s only long term supported hostel.

Sign the petition here

We call on Trident Group to urgently re-consider this decision and keep Helen Dixon House as a long term supported women’s hostel.

We call on Trident Group to guarantee the three remaining residents can continue to live at the hostel, receiving support, until they find suitable alternative accommodation.

We call on Birmingham City Council to review their service delivery model to include women’s only hostels so that hostels such as Helen Dixon House can continue to operate to provide long term consistent support to women in a safe environment.

Update: 24/11/24: I have written to Trident Group who have confirmed the move, and say it is due to the service delivery model adopted by the council. They have reassured me they will not evict the three remaining residents.