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Embassy Village makes independent living a supported rehearsal

The Manchester project combines housing with community spaces and practical preparation for residents to manage homes of their own.

Channel: Sky News ·

United KingdomStory of October 28, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of Sky News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 97,679 views.

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Is this the blueprint for ending homelessness? | The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee

"You just need one person to believe in you really," says Lee, a resident of Embassy Village in Manchester, describing the support he receives from its staff.

His experience is central to a report by Britain's Sky News, in which Sarah-Jane Mee visits a community housing project designed to help people move out of homelessness and prepare for independent living.

Beneath railway arches, the development contains 40 homes alongside shared spaces. Co-founder Sid Williams describes its purpose as "a live dress rehearsal at running a home and managing your space, often for the first time." The idea is to give residents experience managing a household without leaving them isolated.

Williams outlines plans for growing food, canal fishing and beekeeping, as well as a village hall, sports pitch, gym and joinery workshop. Those communal activities are part of the project's approach, not simply extras around the accommodation.

Mee reports that charitable donations and support from local businesses financed the development. Raising the £6.2 million needed to open its doors took six and a half years.

The report's title asks, "Is this the blueprint for ending homelessness? | The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee" It presents a working example rather than evidence of a nationwide solution. Williams argues that helping people off the streets can save public money. His next priorities are accommodation for women and funding for staff.

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