Pet-friendly homeless flats come with free clothes

Support planner Ella Barr has helped develop the "store" of donated clothes

Pet-friendly flats for homeless people have opened in Lincoln.

The £2.6m Sincil House development is located in High Street on the site of the former Golden Cross pub, which was demolished last year.

It has 15-self-contained flats, along with communal areas and a space dubbed "the store", which contains free, donated clothes.

Officials said the facility would address the demand for emergency accommodation and help vulnerable people to rebuild their lives.

Residents will be referred by the rough sleeper team at City of Lincoln Council and the flats are being managed by Framework Housing Association, which has been allocated funding of £1.7m from Homes England.

Six people have already moved in to the self-contained flats

Sandra Blow, the Lincolnshire operations manager, said: "There is definitely a need for this. The level of rough sleeping has risen greatly over the last few years, and Lincoln is no exception."

Six residents have already moved in, some bringing dogs with them.

Council leader Naomi Tweddle praised the facility for accommodating pets.

"Vulnerable people don't need the extra trauma of being separated from animals they love," she said.

Ella Barr, a support planner who helped to organise "the store", said it was very difficult for people sleeping rough to keep their clothes clean.

She said having a roof over the heads, access to new clothes and laundry was "a really positive step" in helping them to rebuild their lives.

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