Homeless hostel faces closure over loss of contract

Mitch Boot said the Falcon Centre was "like a little family"

A homeless charity says vulnerable residents could be forced to sleep rough if a plan to remove funding is approved.

The Falcon Centre, in Loughborough, provides intensive round-the-clock support for 30 men and women.

Support staff at the centre are funded through a Leicestershire County Council contract that ends in March 2024.

The authority says a new community-based system would save money and improve flexibility.

Falcon Support Services, which runs the hostel, uses council funding to pay for staff to support its residents in a contract worth £150,000.

It says the Falcon Centre hostel will be forced to close if that funding isn’t extended.

However, Leicestershire County Council said it was not responsible for running homelessness centres.

It said health and wellbeing support would be available through its First Contact Plus scheme instead.

The Falcon Centre hostel provides intensive round-the-clock support for 30 men and women

Resident Mitch Boot said the Falcon Centre was "like a little family".

The 41-year-old carpenter said he struggled to cope on his own in Hinckley because he was "wrapped up in a world of drink and drugs".

He is now learning the skills to look after himself and staff are helping him with things as simple as making appointments.

"Without question it's saved my life," he said.

Mr Boot said he "dreads" to think what would happen if he did not have somewhere like the Falcon Centre.

"My children have got their dad back in better health," he said.

"I've met good people that have had the same struggles. It's made a massive difference".

Jason Graveling, 28, is being supported by the centre

Jason Graveling, 28, started sofa-surfing when he could not afford to rent, after his security work dried up.

Now Jason has his own room in the Falcon Centre, where he's trying to build the skills to move on and support himself.

"I don't have to worry about bills, I get food cooked for me," he said.

"If you want to go to the shop, they'll help me go to the shop, and get back into work."

Leicestershire County Council said changing the way it delivered support for vulnerable homeless people would make the system more flexible.

Mike Sandys, director of public health, said support would be more tailored to individuals' needs.

Local housing teams will be able to make direct referrals, which means they can be followed up more quickly.

Mr Sandys says the changes will allow support to be offered across the whole of Leicestershire rather than in specific locations.

'Short-sighted'

However, the Falcon Centre's deputy CEO, Rachel Hall, said people could end up living on the street if support staff funding was stopped.

She said the new model would not work for her client group because it will be delivered over the phone and online.

"They don't have the computer skills, they don't have access to computers and internet, they don't always even have a phone," she said.

The national housing group, Homeless Link, has condemned the plan as "dangerous and short-sighted".

The council will vote on whether to approve measures to remove the funding at a meeting on Friday.

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