Housing Rights wins national “Housing Heroes” award

Housing Rights has beaten off stiff competition from across the UK to win a “Housing Heroes” award for their Beyond the Gate initiative.  Housing Rights won the Support and Care team category at the awards ceremony held in Manchester.

Speaking about the win Jim O’Callaghan, Director of Operations with Housing Rights, commented:

“We are delighted to have our Beyond the Gate initiative and its dedicated team recognised with this national Housing Hero award. Every day we strive to make a difference to the lives of the most vulnerable prisoners; to enhance their opportunities for successful resettlement, and reduce reoffending.  Many of our Beyond the Gate clients have been living in the community for several months now. Before our input they would have been in the community for 1-2 days before returning to prison.”

Housing Rights believes that everyone should have a home, and has been helping prisoners with funding from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and support from Northern Ireland Prison Service, Probation Board Northern Ireland and NIACRO since 2006.  Beyond the Gate aims to prevent homelessness, and sustain accommodation, for the most vulnerable clients leaving prison.  It is the only initiative of its kind in Northern Ireland. 

The Housing Heroes Awards

The Housing Heroes awards are organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing magazine. They aim to shine the spotlight on the teams and individuals that make housing such a vibrant and caring sector. Many of the awards celebrate the “unsung heroes” of the housing world