Funding boost for St Austell homeless after hospital project

The new site will offer support for people at risk of homelessness after discharge from hospital

A new facility providing accommodation for homeless people discharged from hospital has had a funding boost.

Harbour Housing has been given £97,500 of government funding for the project at Little Cosgarne at its Cosgarne Hall site in St Austell, Cornwall.

The building has been adapted for wheelchairs and people with sight and hearing impairments.

The organisation said the facility had been a "dream" and without extra funding it may not have happened.

Harbour Housing received the money from the Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund - it is the only organisation in Devon and Cornwall to receive money from the fund, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Project manager Kate Moss said the new site was particularly needed as there has been an increase in the number of people being referred for help who had particular health needs.

"At the moment people are blocking bed space in hospital or go somewhere inappropriate, we will potentially be able to provide somewhere which is much more suitable," she said.

"At present it is B&Bs or Travelodge which is not ideal, if you are then having carers or support workers coming in it is a very public environment, it can be really challenging.

"They can go in and out of hospital or end up on the street again. They can also keep using the emergency department at Treliske - it can be somebody who might have over a year 20 or more presentations at hospitals and are at high risk of injury or illness."

The site has been specially adapted for wheelchairs and people with sight and hearing impairments

Ms Moss said the funding was a "significant investment" without which the project may not have been possible.

She said: "It can be very frustrating as there is no other reason that we cannot help these people other than not having the right facilities. I am massively excited about this as it is something we have wanted to do for a long time."

Little Cosgarne will also be the location of Harbour Housing's end of life care which has been created in cooperation with Cornwall Hospice Care and health services.

Ms Moss said: "We have had a few people who have needed our end of life care model, we work with the hospice with rough sleepers who have come to the end of their life.

"They will have a real sanctuary and it has been built with that in mind."