Three Suffolk Riverside supported housing sites set to close

A supported housing provider says three of its sites are set to close following a council decision to reduce the capacity of services in Suffolk - as 32 residents are left at risk of homelessness.

Riverside Group says its sites at Acorn House in Bury St Edmunds, and Coupals Court in Haverhill, which offer supported housing for young parents aged 16 to 25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, will close by March 31. 

Residents of Lindsey Court in Great Cornard, near Sudbury, which also supports young parents aged 16 to 25 with support needs, relationship issues, mental health issues, substance misuse or homelessness, will also no longer receive support from Riverside and the building will be handed back to the landlord.

Acorn House in Bury St Edmunds (Image: Google maps) The provider said it was advised by Suffolk County Council (SCC) in January that the council needs to deliver savings of £2m in 2025/26 by "rebalancing responsibilities relating to Housing Related Support (HRS) Services". 

Suffolk County Council said it is "continuing to work in partnership with providers like Riverside", as well as district and borough councils, to help those in need.

A Riverside spokesperson said: "In June, SCC advised all providers, including Riverside, they were offering a contractual variation to reduce the capacity of total HRS services in Suffolk by 63.4%.

“We have been in negotiations with SCC, district council and borough councils. The district council and borough councils have advised us that they don’t have funds to bridge the gap between what SCC can offer and fully retaining our services."

Coupals Court in Haverhill (Image: Google maps) They said this has led to "difficult decisions" around the services they can run in Suffolk, and that other providers are dealing with the same decisions.

“Unfortunately, because of such significant cuts to funding, we came to the incredibly difficult decision that we could no longer retain all of our young parent bedspaces," they said.

"Ahead of the closures in five months’ time, we’re working with SCC and district and boroughs to support the 32 customers, in total, who will be affected across the three schemes, to source suitable alternative housing," they added.

They also said they are working with their own staff to support their next steps.

Cllr Richard O’Driscoll, cabinet member for housing at West Suffolk Council, said: "We are hugely disappointed and saddened that West Suffolk will be losing these important services and that families could be made homeless as a consequence." 

Cllr Richard O'Driscoll (Image: WSC) He said the closures will affect 24 families currently in accommodation at Acorn House and Coupals Court, all of which will be owed a statutory homelessness duty should they lose the accommodation.

"We will work with them to try and find solutions to ensure they don’t become homeless," he said.

"In addition to housing needs it is understood that some of the families may have relationships with social care for additional support and that will continue regardless of where the families are living.

"We have had discussions with SCC and Riverside to see if there is a way of retaining this accommodation and minimising the disruption and impact to all concerned. To date this has not been possible.

"However, we continue to talk to Riverside to try and find a way of retaining some service in West Suffolk."

A Babergh District Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting residents impacted by the changes in Housing Related Support, working closely with social care and housing colleagues to ensure they receive the assistance they need during this transition.

“Where changes may impact current residents at Lindsey Court, we are collaborating with Riverside and other agencies to provide tailored support plans, prioritising their wellbeing and continuity of care.”

A Suffolk County Council spokesperson said: "Suffolk County Council is continuing to work in partnership with providers like Riverside, and district and borough councils' housing teams, to support people who need help maintaining a home in Suffolk.

"Changes agreed earlier this year mean that from April 2025, the county council will only make referrals into HRS services for people who meet the eligibility criteria under the Care Act or Children’s Act as per our statutory duties. 

"This change will mean some services will have to be delivered in different ways, or end in their current form.  Where these changes impact individuals, we will work with them and our partners to help them to get the right support moving forward.   

"Suffolk County Council maintains our statutory commitment to support care leavers and people with assessed social care needs as we always have."