Embassy Village to provide 40 homes for rough sleepers as work starts
On-site works began at what has been billed as the largest purpose-built village for rough sleepers in the UK, a project headed by Peel Waters and Capital&Centric, with the aim to solve Manchester’s burgeoning homelessness crisis.
Embassy Village will provide short-to-medium-term accommodation for up to 40 homeless men in units developed around a community-focused village hall.
Contractor Vermont Group will be taking on the construction for no profit.
Mark Connor, chief executive of Vermont Group spoke of the city’s “collective responsibility to deal with the issue” of homelessness and said it was “a huge honour to be part of the solution”.
The 4.5-acre brownfield site sits beneath 22 railway arches off the Egerton Street Bridge towards Salford.
To be run by the Embassy Charity, the project will provide wrap-around support to residents with the aim of progressing them into privately rented accommodation.
Communal outdoor green spaces, mini allotment plots, and a multi-use sports area are also part of the scheme.
Contributions to the project’s design were made by AEW Architects and Jon Matthews Architects.
Planit provided landscape designs.
Over 50 organisations from across the city have supported Embassy Village with funding, services, and material
donations. Credit: PNW
Plans were officially put forward in 2021 after more than 50 businesses partnered with the Embassy Charity on a pro-bono basis to deliver the scheme.
Some firms offered their services free of charge, while others provided donations.
The idea for the project was first floated by James Whittaker, director of Peel Waters, at a breakfast meeting with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in 2019. He said Burnham called it a “fantastic idea”, and was keen to “just get on and do it.”
Commenting on the project’s “amazing journey”, Whittaker said: “What we thought might be a difficult political process was actually one of complete support.”
He continued: “I can’t see any reason why this can’t happen in every city, not just in the UK, but worldwide.”
Residents of Embassy Village will be required to commit to six hours of training per week in shopping, cooking, and budgeting.
A community centre with a counselling room, training kitchen, laundry room, and communal computer space will develop life skills to help with the transition into sustained renting.
Planning consent for the £4m project was given by Manchester City Council in July 2021.
Phase one of Embassy Village, the first 24 homes and the village hall are scheduled to reach completion within 10 months.
Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital&Centric, working with Peel Waters and steering the project, commented: “It’s still got to stand up to the same tests of quality, architecture, and deliverability.”
“But it’s also on a site where you would never recoup costs, but this way, no one wants to, it’s a donation – a brilliant solution.”
In 2022, The Moulding Foundation – an organisation dedicated to alleviating social inequalities – donated £3.5m to support the village’s construction.
Jodie Moulding, its co-founder, said: “For most people, access to housing, healthcare, and education is a given – but for others, it is a privilege. The Moulding Foundation helps to change that.”
She added: “It has taken an unbelievable amount of time, effort, and energy to get to this point, so finally breaking ground is a huge milestone for everyone involved in bringing Embassy Village to life.”
Sid Williams founded the Embassy Charity in 2019. Credit: via Peel Waters
The Garfield Weston Foundation, Benefact Trust, Euan Kellie Property Solutions, and Sigma Capital have also made significant financial donations.
A further £1m is required for the remaining units to round off funding for the site’s second phase.
Progress is now being made between the Embassy Charity and the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity to secure long-term funding for the scheme’s continuous operational costs.
Sid Williams, director of Embassy Charity, said: “Special thanks go to Matt and Jodie Moulding for their financial backing and the teams at Peel Waters, Capital&Centric, the Mayor’s Charity and Manchester City Council for making this happen.”
Williams received praise from all stakeholders for Embassy Charity’s role as a driving force behind the project – other charities were not as keen to take on the project.
Whittaker said: “The biggest challenge from the outset was meeting the right charity – you need a Sid Williams.
“Actually getting the support from the business community – that was the easiest part.”
The wider team providing pro-bono professional services to support the project includes Arcadis, Crookes Walker Consulting, Cundall, Curtins, Hill Dickinson Solicitors, Shoosmiths Solicitors, Our Studio, TEP, and Wardell Armstrong.
Great project, Manchester leading the way again
By Bob
Why only 40 homeless men who will benefit and not homeless women?
By Anonymous
“The English bourgeoisie is charitable out of self-interest; it gives nothing outright, but regards its gifts as a business matter, makes a bargain with the poor, saying: “If I spend this much upon benevolent institutions, I thereby purchase the right not to be troubled any further, and you are bound thereby to stay in your dusky holes and not to irritate my tender nerves by exposing your misery.”
By Friedrich Engels
Couldn’t make it up could you? Let’s hide the homeless under brick archways. Amazing that after 7 years and more latitude than any Metro Mayor that homelessness under Burnham has spiralled. Maybe the residents of Manchester need to start asking some difficult questions of their local leaders?
By Anonymous
I blame the previous government for rising homelessness in Manchester, and only a Daily Mail simp would think otherwise. Homelessness has increased substantially nationally since the Tories hacked away at social services. Blaming it on local Labour leaders is falling into their trap.
By Anonymous
A small step in the right direction. Homelessness has several origins, and it’s much more difficult to deal with than most people realise. This sounds like a pilot project, and obviously the problem is so much bigger than that. Let’s hope all the parties involved make it work quickly, and expand it urgently.
By Francis
The success of this project will not be judged by the capital construction spend but on the revenue support funding which I understand is not yet in place. The residents will require intensive support in getting their lives on track, finding jobs, maintaining their homes and managing their tenancy, without this it will be a spectacular failure. I really
By Anonymous
To build new homes for a homeless shelter might suggest that there is either a shortage of, or no suitable alternative shelter available in Manchester. Is that the case? If not, why not consider investing in existing shelters or acquiring an existing premises with the necessary infrastructure already in place and refurbishing it? Alternatively, is there a specific advantage to building from scratch that makes it more attractive than utilizing existing accommodation, assuming such options are available?
By Anonymous
I’m sorry but there’s a price on the ticket of devolution and it’s called responsibility for outcomes.
By Anonymous
An incredible achievement, congrats and thank you to all the businesses and people that backed this initiative, I was sceptical to would ever get off the ground
By Clare Parker
Homelessness is a national crisis not just confined to Manchester. National issues are the responsibility of the national Government, local authorities and regional mayor’s can only tinker at the edges.
By Anonymous
To the person who quoted Engels: there may be some truth in what he said. Our motives are often mixed. But what did Engels contribute, other than clever theories that cost the lives of hundreds of millions of people?
By Rick
Let’s hope there’s a comprehensive package of mental health support and a structured program to get these people from their drug addictions, otherwise it’ll fail.
By Dr B
Great. Now, let’s build some affordable houses around Manchester to help stop people becoming homeless in the first place.
By Anonymous