'Pods for the homeless turned my life around'

Hopestead Place resident Lewis Paterson, standing in front of the ‘pod’ where he currently lives, says the project has changed his life

A man who slept rough after a relationship breakdown said his life was turned around after he moved into a special "pod" aimed at helping homeless people.

Lewis Paterson, 47, is currently living at Hopestead Place, a modular home complex that consists of two small properties next to a community cafe in Felixstowe Road, Ipswich.

The homes – also known as pods – were unveiled last October as part of a £220,000 project funded homelessness charity Hopestead for its Building Hope campaign.

Mr Paterson, who now works for homelessness charity Emmaus Suffolk, said: "It makes a huge difference to have this space. It’s just for the short term, but it’s a place I can call home."

Emmaus Suffolk chief executive officer Claire Staddon described Hopestead Place in Ipswich as incredible

The homes were built by Cambridgeshire charity New Meaning Foundation and opened by human rights activist Sir Terry Waite to mark World Homelessness Day last year.

The pods each have an open-plan kitchen and living room, bathroom, bedroom, outdoor garden and decking.

Emmaus Suffolk CEO Claire Staddon said: "The idea is that people can live there independently, without active support, after being offered a job.

"The first tenant stayed for six months, and then she was promoted at work.

"With an increased salary she was able to start renting privately and now she’s setting up her own business.

"Without having that stability and dignity of her own front door, she may not have been able to take those steps."

Human rights activist Sir Terry Waite and Hopestead CEO Marie-Claire Delbrouque cutting a ribbon at the opening of Hopestead Place last October

Hopestead's head of operations Lucy Parish said it showed how housing solutions like this could make a real difference.

She said: "It’s not just about providing shelter, it’s about offering a fresh start and a foundation for people to move forward and achieve their goals."