Oasis Community Housing: Review of change through COVID and beyond

Anne Power and Bert Provan

Published 3 December 2021

Small, locally based housing associations provide invaluable local services to homeless and rough sleeping people. Oasis Community Housing undertakes this work in Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside, providing day centre, housing first, and supported housing, and wider domestic abuse and employment related support for homeless and vulnerable people. It also provides more specialist supported housing for women with young children, and in London for vulnerable young adults. The organisation is faith based and part of the wider Oasis Charitable Trust group of schools, community hubs and other neighbourhood based organisations informed by Christian values. This report looks at the services provided before and during the COVID 19 pandemic, and how this period changed the way services were delivered. From being a small, mainly NE focused organisation, Oasis Community Housing is planning to provide similar services in other cities where the Oasis Community Trust already has a neighbourhood presence. The report explores the opportunities and challenges of these proposals, in the context of an analysis of current operations and performance.