Nearly £50,000 has been spent by Choice Housing, one of Northern Ireland’s largest housing providers, on Starter Packs which are intended to help tenants turn their new house into a home.
Choice Housing purchased the Starter Packs from Homeless Connect – a Belfast-based charity that represents organisations supporting individuals experiencing homelessness.
The Home Starter Pack Project is intended to make the transition from homelessness to more settled accommodation easier and less stressful, especially as in many reported cases, local homeless people have lost many – if not all – of their material possessions.
Essential household goods such as bedding, towels, kitchenware, cleaning equipment, and toiletry items are all included in a Home Starter Pack. The contents help people keep their tenancy going which is known to minimises the likelihood of future displacement.
The Home Starter Pack project started with Public Health Agency funding back in 2014, with local housing associations starting to purchase packs from the beginning of 2024. To date, Homeless Connect has delivered 842 starter packs – an average of 40 a month.
Choice Housing
Aidan McCrea, Choice Housing’s Financial Inclusion Manager, said: “At Choice Housing, we believe a house becomes a home when people feel supported, secure, and valued. Our investment in Home Starter Packs is more than providing essential household items – it demonstrates our commitment to remove any barriers when setting up home.
“Being provided with a tenancy is just the first step, and projects like these help us to strengthen the overall support the financial inclusion team currently provide to our new tenants.
“We understand that many people making the transition from homelessness, or difficult circumstances, do not have the basic possessions that make daily life manageable. By partnering with Homeless Connect, we are helping to restore dignity and create a real sense of belonging from day one. These packs provide more than towels and bedding – they offer some much-needed security to tenants, and the foundation for a more stable future.”
Aidan added: “Supporting our tenants in meaningful and practical ways like this helps strengthen tenancies, prevent repeat homelessness, and build local communities that are more resilient. That is at the very heart of everything we do at Choice Housing.”
Welcoming Choice Housing’s support of the Home Starter Pack Project, Paula Maskey – Homeless Connect’s Head of Business Solutions – said: “Choice Housing is a valued partner of Homeless Connect, working with us to support tenants as they settle into their new homes. Through this partnership, Choice purchases Home Starter Packs from Homeless Connect, which contain essential household items designed to make a house feel like a home from the very beginning.
“Each pack provides practical necessities such as kitchenware, bedding, and cleaning supplies – helping tenants establish comfort and stability as they start a new chapter,” continued Paula. “This collaboration reflects Choice’s commitment to supporting tenant wellbeing and Homeless Connect’s mission to provide practical help to those moving on from homelessness.”
