HIVE Directory: Housing Support

Abri is a collection of housing providers in the South of England, a registered provider with the Regulator of Social Housing. (formerly Radian)

Our aim is to provide affordable and sensitively managed sheltered housing for people over 60 years of age, giving priority to those who have served in the Armed Forces and their surviving partners or relatives. We also aim to meet the needs of those with priority on housing waiting lists when possible.

Providing free information and advice for Forces veterans and active service personnel in Portsmouth.

The Veterans Information Point is supported by the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and Greenwich Hospital, and has been set up to offer free, independent and confidential information, advice and support to military veterans and active servicemen and women in Portsmouth and South East Hampshire.

The Veterans Information Point is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4:45pm (4.30pm on Fridays) at the Bradbury Centre. We can offer telephone advice or face-to-face office appointments and even home visits if necessary.

Issues we can help you with
• Benefits and entitlements including War and Armed Forces Pensions
• Leisure and social activities including access to regimental associations
• Applying for a service medal or Veterans Badge
• Mental health support including PTSD
• Housing options
• Money matters
• Energy efficiency for your home
• Staying independent at home
• Family and personal matters
• Coping with bereavement
• Wills and funeral planning
• Legal issues
• Signposting to other agencies for additional services and support

Welfare benefits
Benefits checks are one of our most common requests, and last year we were able to help claim over £1.3 million in benefits for people living in the Portsmouth area. It is estimated that every year over £3.5 billion of benefits go unclaimed across the country, with three million older people living below the poverty line.

Many people are put off claiming either by the complexity of the benefits system, or they assume they cannot claim anything because they have some savings or own their home.

Our Veterans Information Adviser and team of trained volunteers can check to see if you are entitled to claim any welfare or disability benefits, and can help you through the claims process from start to finish. If needed we can give you assistance filling in all of the forms.

We provide support for people living in their own homes. Support varies dependent on individual needs, but can include support with personal care, leisure activities, cooking, cleaning and household chores.
People we support include autistic people, people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and physical disabilities.

CESSA Housing Association (CESSA HA) manages a total of 8 Sheltered Housing Schemes for a variety of ex-service personnel and their families in the locations listed below.

Citizens Advice Portsmouth has operated in Portsmouth for more than 85 years. They offer free, impartial and confidential advice in person, on the telephone and online to the people of Portsmouth.

The First Stop service offers free advice on housing and care options for people in later life

We’re a housing association, social enterprise and charity with a turnover of over £406m and one of the UK’s largest providers of high quality housing and integrated housing, health and social care.

The Housing Needs Advice and Support team offer advice and support if you are homeless or worried about becoming homeless and assessment for the Portsmouth Housing Register for those with a housing need.

PRHA is one of many of the UK’s smaller housing associations that have a strong customer focus. It was committed members of the Portsmouth and Southsea Rotary Club that founded the Association. The connection to the Rotary Club remains with five Rotary members sitting on the Association’s Board of Management.