Community group staff 'paying for hotels for homeless women'

Tina Potter has been staying in a bed and breakfast paid for by support workers

Staff at a community outreach group have been paying for hotel rooms for vulnerable women out of their own pockets, it has been claimed.

Bridgend Adult Resource Centre (BARC) said its workers had personally funded temporary accommodation for three women over the past month.

One of them, Tina Potter, approached the centre for help after being both evicted from council accommodation and following a separate alleged sexual attack.

Bridgend Council said it could not discuss the specifics of her case but added that it was "complicated".

Ms Potter, 65, who has experienced periods of homelessness, has been living in a bed and breakfast in Bridgend since 18 November, funded by BARC.

She said she was sexually assaulted while sleeping in a tent in Porthcawl and her alleged attacker had been arrested and was on bail. She has waived her right to anonymity as a victim of a sexual offence.

South Wales Police has been approached for comment.

Subsequently, Ms Potter was placed in a hostel provided by Bridgend council but later evicted.

She claimed it was due to an incident where she threw an object at a fellow resident and smashed a window. However, she said she did this to protect herself.

Bridgend council said it had a responsibility to ensure its homeless accommodation was safe for everyone.

"Only in the most serious of situations would we ask someone to leave temporary accommodation and, even then, we approach partner organisations on their behalf to try and help them find alternative support," it said.

"Such actions are always a last resort and are only taken in the most serious situations."

BARC outreach manager, Rebecca Lloyd, said a statutory body should find alternative accommodation for Ms Potter.

"I think there would be other options, such as sheltered accommodation or supported living for [someone] who, whilst she might be volatile, doesn't seem to present a high physical risk to anybody."

Bridgend Adult Resource Centre said it had funded three women in temporary accommodation over the past month

Ms Lloyd said one night last week the temperature reached -4C (25F) and if Ms Potter had been on the streets, particularly with her physical and mental health conditions, the outcome "would have been catastrophic".

"We're talking probably fatal," she added.

Ms Potter said she was frightened and had "nothing" but was grateful for BARC's help, as she would otherwise be "on the streets, starving".

Plaid Cymru Senedd member Luke Fletcher said he was aware of her case and had helped others sleeping rough who had called his office for help.

He said the system did not work and called for more support for people in Ms Potter's situation.

"Services should be stepping in to make sure there's an alternative option available for Tina," he said.

"We can't have a situation where someone who is vulnerable is living on the streets... in the depths of winter."

The Welsh government declined to comment.