August 2025

A Major Step To End Local Homelessness: Skywaves House Opens in Worthing

This week, something truly special happened in Worthing.

Tucked away on Ivy Arch Road, what was once a disused commercial building, has been transformed into something remarkable: Skywaves House. A new home for people who’ve experienced homelessness and a major step in Turning Tides’ mission to end local homelessness for good.

With 21 self-contained flats, each complete with a private kitchen and bathroom, Skywaves House offers far more than shelter. It offers safety, respect and crucially, support. Around-the-clock 24/7 care is available on-site, meaning help is never more than a few steps away, whether it’s a housing need, health issue or just someone to talk to.

Why is this kind of support absolutely critical?

Homelessness is not just a housing issue, people experiencing homelessness are far more likely to suffer from serious trauma, mental illness and chronic physical conditions. The average age of death for someone who is homeless in England is just 45 for men and 43 for women, decades younger than the national average. That’s not just heartbreaking, it’s unacceptable. Over 80% of people who are homeless report struggling with a mental health issue and more than half live with a long-term physical health problem.

Sleeping rough exposes people to constant risk: violence, exploitation, cold, malnutrition and despair. Skywaves House offers a different reality, one of safety, care and healing, where people can begin to recover from the immense toll homelessness has taken on their bodies and minds. It is a place where trauma is met with compassion and lives are not just stabilised, but rebuilt. 

The project

One of the most powerful things about this project is the community behind it. It wouldn’t exist without a strong, committed partnership between Turning Tides, Worthing Homes, Worthing Borough Council, and Homes England. What began as a shared vision has become a purpose-built sanctuary, a place where lives can be stabilised and slowly, carefully, rebuilt. We can’t thank them enough, along with our incredible supporters for bringing this project to fruition.

For Turning Tides, this isn’t a short-term fix. With a 60-year lease secured, Skywaves House represents a long-term promise: to stand by those in need for generations to come. Hundreds of people will pass through these doors over the coming decades. And for many, it will be the turning point they so desperately need.

But what really makes Skywaves House feel like a home and not just a housing solution, is the human element built into every detail.

The ground-floor flats are designed with accessibility in mind, ideal for those with mobility challenges or pets. There’s a support hub at the heart of the building, where professionals from health, housing, and counselling services work together.

And it doesn’t stop with the residents. The building has communal spaces that are open to the wider Worthing community, places to host meetings, workshops and opportunities for connection. Because real change happens when people come together, share stories and break down barriers.

Residents will typically stay for six to nine months, although it can be up to two years, gradually working toward more independent living. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, it’s tailored, thoughtful and proven to work.

In summary

As homelessness continues to rise across the country, projects like Skywaves House offer hope, not just for individuals, but for entire communities. At the launch event this week, Turning Tides’ Chief Executive John Holmstrom summed it up best: “This is a place of healing and hope. It will save lives.”

By the end of September, Skywaves House will be fully operational, every room filled. But the impact won’t end there. Over the next 60 years, it will be a lifeline for so many. A place where compassion lives. Where people are met with kindness and where homelessness is no longer the end of the road but the beginning of a new one.