Harbour Place aiming to reopen its night shelter
COVID CRISIS REACHING ‘A WATERSHED MOMENT’
A GRIMSBY charity is aiming to end homelessness by reopening its night shelter.
Harbour Place has helped find short-term accommodation for 40 people and continues to provide daily support for those who are living on the streets.
But there are around 10 people who face a winter of sleeping in dangerous, derelict buildings, said charity chairman Andrew Brown.
He and his team want to reopen the Hope Street centre for overnight accomodation. Approval is needed from North East Lincolnshire Council, with Government guidance.
Harbour Place organisers say the charity’s response to the coronavirus crisis is reaching “a watershed moment” and aim to seize the initiative at a critically important time before the onset of winter.
The “Everyone In” system was launched after lockdown was announced in March. Homeless people were provided with hotel accommodation and flats provided to ensure no one was sleeping rough and risking the spread of Covid-19. Night shelters were officially closed.
Mr Brown said: “We kept a small number of clients 24/7 and encouraged them to stay in so that they had temporary accomodation. By midMay we had alternative accommodation for the six who had been with us. We continue to support around 40 individuals who are in short-term accommodation and we are also providing daily support to those who are street homeless. We are about to implement some alterations to our night shelter accommodation at the Hope Centre in the hope that Government will allow night shelters to open for the winter.”
He said he hopes to be able to provide places for 10 homeless people, each with a self-contained space. The accommodation could become available within about a month following adjustments to the centre in Hope Street.
“We will still have communal areas and we will be encouraging social distancing. It is important to make it 100 per cent safe for the
homeless people and our staff,” he said.
He added: “We are going to be bumping along through winter and hope that we can get them into the centre so there is less risk to themselves as it is safer here than out on the streets. There are a couple of them living in buildings which is dangerous.
“We are optimistic we can open and there is intense work going on to provide accommodation for everyone. It is a watershed moment.” Mr Brown said the Hope Street centre is a stepping stone to finding accommodation to suit each individual.
He is worried that with the increase in unemployment more people will end up being homeless.
The 40 people supported by Harbour Place are mostly in flats, though some are in bed and breakfast accommodation. Meals are also provided thanks to The Rock Foundation food bank and the We Are One Foundation.
As well as praising those charities and their volunteers, Mr Brown said North East Lincolnshire Council’s housing intervention team had been “brilliant”. The charity’s fundraising has been reduced due to events being cancelled, including an annual dinner which is normally held at this time of year. Anyone wishing to support the charity with donations can email fundraising@harbourplacegrimsby. org.uk or visit www.harbourplacegrimsby.org.uk.