A spacious bedroom equipped with a TV and its own ensuite might not initially be what you picture when you imagine the accommodation provided for someone who is homeless, or at risk of homelessness. And if there were such places to stay, you might also not envisage them being unoccupied.
But in Bridgend- such rooms are actually available and also ready and waiting for the people who need them.
At the Emmaus South Wales accommodation, to be offered a place you need to be homeless or be "insecurely housed", which means you are unable to continue living where you currently do. In Bridgend, for someone accessing the Emmaus charity's support, they will be given their own room, initially in the community house, Nant Lais. You can get more Bridgend news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
All the rooms are furnished, and big enough for a bed and somewhere to sit and relax. The rest of the house is shared by everyone and there is a large living room with a games area as well as computer points.
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This is what the average room in Nant Lais looks like, along with the typical ensuite that's also included with each room, giving people an additional amount of privacy.
There is also a large dining room where the community eat together most days and the kitchen is always open so people can help themselves as they want. There’s a laundry room, and even a tool shed.
And at Nant Lais, there are two rooms available right now, with 16 others currently occupied. People who have become settled there before are said to have enjoyed the opportunity for a fresh start, and also been able to give back to the community by working in the Emmaus charity shops.
The rooms people are offered at Emmaus are given to them for as long as they need them, meaning it breaks the cycle of them finding somewhere temporary to be based at for a couple of weeks before going back onto the streets.
Julie Raikes, Emmaus South Wales Chair of Trustees, said: "How can you deal with all of the other problems going on in your life and the challenges you have to deal with if you don't have a roof over your head in the next month?
"We provide this space to them expecting no money in return, but they will be expected to work in the community for up to 37 hours a week. They can come to us with just the clothes on their back so it's fully furnished, and the room has everything they could need, including bedding and towels, so they can come off the street and feel safe.
"Many people don't realise that when they go to our shops that they're actually being served by some staff, but also companions (people living in Emmaus accommodation). We've got a van team, we do house clearances and Lucy the Land Train is also ours which they all work with sometimes so they're learning to engage with the public again and learning new skills as it's seen as a long term initiative to move people out of homelessness rather than just provide accommodation.
"We're supported with housing benefit from Bridgend County Borough Council, but that's the only benefit we claim for our companions as we don't claim any Universal Credit. And that covers the accommodation in our community home, it covers the support team and the central staff and the overheads that go with that."
But not everyone might know exactly what the charity have to offer and how to access one of their rooms. Julie explained: "Part of it is a lack of awareness, but also the conditions we have can sometimes mean they are not ready. We don't suit all homeless people at a particular time in their journey. One of the requirements is that they have to live in a communal situation where they have to get involved and behave in a way where they are of course not violent or abusive to other members of the community.
"We encourage companions, when they are ready, to sit together and eat, although some people prefer to take it to their rooms. But the other thing which can put some people off is that they will have to work in the enterprise.
According to the UK Government, on September 30, 2022, Bridgend was one of the local authorities reporting the highest number of rough sleepers in Wales, with 13 people being recorded as homeless. But Julie believed the figures were often the tip of the iceberg as they didn't always show how bad homelessness in Bridgend was right now, because a lot of people might be going unaccounted for due to them sofa surfing or living at family homes.
She said: "It's hard to say how bad the issue of homelessness is. The problem is that a lot of people are not registered as homeless because they are not out on the streets."
To apply for a room, you can download the application form as a Word document or PDF and email it to community@emmaussouthwales.org.uk
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