Meeting the needs of women experiencing homelessness
Many hostels and refuges in London lack the right facilities, services and spaces for women’s needs. The 18 Keys project is designed to meet the many challenges facing women currently sleeping rough.
The current building
18 Keys is a £2.2m (amended from £2.3m) project to radically re-design the service model of an existing hostel in London.
St Martin-in-the-Fields Trust raised funds to develop and expand the facilities for women with multiple complex needs. Our partner charity, The Connection at St Martin’s who own and manage the site, have now refurbished the existing building on the site and this is now available for the intensive support of 15 residents. The first cohort of women moved in from September 2023 onwards.
A fresh start
The new building has been carefully designed for 18 women coming off the street who are likely to have experienced severe trauma.
The site now has 24 hour onsite security, free wifi for accessing support online, and specialist support workers including therapists and career advisors. This form of care follows the ‘step down’ model, to include close support for those leaving the project. The Connection at St Martin team consider this to be a critical aspect of the project.
The spaces in 18 Keys have been visualised by award winning Harris Irwin Architects. They are one of the UK’s leading architectural practices specialising in specialist care.
18 spaces women can call their own
All 18 studio apartments will be private, homely and self-contained, with plenty of living space, storage, a kitchenette and an en-suite bathroom.
A space to be together
The money we raised in our capital campaign will go towards converting the existing garage into a new, multi-purpose area where people can come together. It will also support the increased specialist running costs and facilities for the new service model.
A sanctuary inside and out
The new building will have large doors opening out into a beautiful garden, with lots of natural light. Women will be able to enjoy the space and grow flowers, vegetables and herbs. It will also include a new kitchen, where women can choose to come and cook, talk and share their experiences.
18 Keys has 24-hour onsite staff and security, free WiFi for accessing support online, and emergency shelter for women in need at times of extreme weather.
Inspiring future refuges
As well as providing vital sanctuary and support, the 18 Keys building will be a blueprint for how to accommodate women with complex, high support needs. We hope it will inspire other organisations to address the chronic shortage of women’s shelters in London and across the country.
We need your support to develop this vital sanctuary for women experiencing homelessness.
