Caritas to install two further emergency sleeping pods in St Peter Port
- Caritas Guernsey is installing two additional emergency sleeping pods between the Queen Elizabeth II Marina and La Salerie car park, subject to planning approval
- The existing two pods at Vale Douzaine Rooms have provided accommodation for more than 100 nights since installation at the end of 2025
- Demand has varied considerably during the first half of the year, with waiting lists often forming for the emergency accommodation
- The self-contained units feature solar power, battery storage and toilet facilities, providing safe short-term accommodation
- The pods form part of Caritas's wider work to address homelessness, including plans for a community of modular homes
Caritas Guernsey is installing two additional emergency sleeping pods in St Peter Port to provide short-term accommodation for people experiencing homelessness or who have no other safe place to stay.
The two pods will be located between the Queen Elizabeth II Marina and La Salerie car park, subject to planning approval, which is currently in process.
The new pods will complement the two emergency sleeping pods installed by Caritas at the Vale Douzaine Rooms at the end of 2025. Since they were installed, the Vale pods have provided accommodation for more than 100 nights to people who had no alternative accommodation available to them.
Graham Merfield, Chair of Caritas, said: "The demand for the sleeping pods has varied considerably during the first half of this year, and we have often found ourselves with a waiting list of people who need somewhere safe to sleep."
He added: "Our aim is to ensure that anyone who needs to use an emergency sleeping pod has access to one when they need it. The additional pods will give us greater capacity and provide an alternative location to complement the existing facility at the Vale."
Mr Merfield noted that whilst the pods are not a solution to homelessness in themselves, they provide an immediate, safe and dignified place to stay while people work towards finding more permanent accommodation.
Caritas thanked Guernsey Ports for supporting its search and identifying a suitable additional location.
James Way, Harbour Master, said: "This is a very worthy initiative led by Caritas which will help members of our community when they need it most. Guernsey Ports is pleased to make a small contribution by identifying a suitable location on the harbour estate for the emergency sleeping pods."
The charity also thanked DRP Architects for their assistance with the planning application and Channel Seaways for helping with the transportation of the pods to Guernsey.
The new pods are based on the same design as those already operating at the Vale. They are self-contained units designed to provide safe, short-term emergency accommodation, with solar power, battery storage and their own toilet facilities. Caritas provides oversight and support to users while helping them to access longer-term accommodation and other appropriate services.
The additional pods form part of Caritas's wider work to address homelessness and housing insecurity in Guernsey. The charity is also developing plans for a community of modular homes that would provide short to medium-term accommodation and support for people who are homeless or living in insecure accommodation.
Q&A
Q: Where will the new sleeping pods be located?
A: The two new pods will be located between the Queen Elizabeth II Marina and La Salerie car park in St Peter Port, subject to planning approval which is currently in process.
Q: How many nights of accommodation have the existing Vale pods provided?
A: Since their installation at the end of 2025, the Vale pods have provided accommodation for more than 100 nights to people who had no alternative accommodation available to them.
Q: What features do the emergency sleeping pods have?
A: The pods are self-contained units designed to provide safe, short-term emergency accommodation. They feature solar power, battery storage and their own toilet facilities. Caritas provides oversight and support to users while helping them access longer-term accommodation and other services.
Comments ()