(Last update: February 02 2010)

An Independent Housing Project in Bristol

St. Vincent’s Housing Learning and Guidance is a housing project for single homeless substance misusers, most of whom will be ex-offenders, seeking to make life changes. St Vincents is a total abstinence, zero-tolerance, 12-step project. It is based in Bristol, UK.

Welcome to St Vincent’s

Contact: 57 Manor Park, Redland, Bristol BS6 7HW. Telephone/fax: 0117-9739477. Email us: stvincentshousing@btconnect.com

A Short History

St Vincent’s Housing Learning and Guidance was first thought of in 1998 to tackle issues of social exclusion. We wanted to work directly with excluded individuals, providing housing, learning activities and supporting personal development.

In 1999 St Vincent’s Housing Learning and Guidance set up a housing and learning residential project for offenders and substance misusers. The project was intended as a bridge for adults who misuse drugs or alcohol to take them to more purposeful and social conforming lifestyles.

When we first opened our doors we did not understand the nature of addiction, and consequently we had a fairly difficult time.

In the early years of the project, 16 bed spaces were offered in our large house in a residential area of Bristol. From December 1999 to September 2003, 113 residents accessed this housing provision.

After September 2003, the capacity of the housing project almost doubled with the addition of 15 bed-spaces (two 5-bed houses, a two-bed flat and a three-bed flat) to support people as they move-on to less supported accommodation.

This move-on accommodation came about by exploring with the residents what worked for them, what their needs were, and reviewing the successes of residents who had left. At the end of November 2008 we lost this move-on accommodation as we have lost our Supporting People funding. We are building up our move-on spaces again, and have rented two 4-bedroomed houses in Fishponds, one four bedroomed maisonette in Redland, a four-bedroomed flat in Westbury Park and one four bedroomed house in Southville.

In August 2009 we left 380 Hotwell Road after ten years, to move to Redland.

The living room in one of our ”Move-On” houses

After ten years, we have a thorough understanding of addiction - many of us working at St Vincent’s are in recovery.  We are a 12-step project and have strong links with the Fellowships.