Homeless night shelter to open in city

A night shelter is set to open in Lancashire after a city council bought a property to help get rough sleepers off the streets.

The building at an undisclosed location will have cubicles for up to 14 people and will open its doors next month, Preston City Council said.

The authority said it aimed to help get rough sleepers into accommodation whilst offering them safety, support and advice to help them gain independence.

The acquisition followed a six-month consultation by the city council with support from charity Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) when the most common feedback from people was that "more beds" were needed.

Councillor Nweeda Khan said any individual sleeping on the city's streets was "unacceptable" and the council was "committed to getting people off the streets and into secure and safe accommodation".

She said it was working hard with its community partners "to stem the tide of increasing numbers of homelessness in Preston".

The opening of a night shelter service was a "priority project", she said, to help tackle the problem.

It will also provide longer term help to get more permanent housing and work for people, she said.

The city council said it had also reached an agreement with the Foxton Centre, a charity supporting vulnerable communities in Preston.

Last month, the charity said it feared its services were "at risk" because the city council was reviewing its funding for rough sleepers.

The council said it would continue to support the Foxton Day Centre which was, according to data from the charity, used mainly for food during the breakfast session, showers and laundry.

John Parkinson, from the Foxton Centre, said it welcomed the council's investment in a night shelter in the city.

He said the council's continued investment in the Foxton Day Centre and the creation of a steering group was also a "positive step forward".

The council is holding drop-in sessions at the Town Hall, in collaboration with MEAM, to answer questions about the new night shelter service.

There is a session on 27 February with workshops on 4, 5 and 13 March between 16:00 GMT and 20:00.

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