Worcester homelessness hostel wants to double capacity

Staff at St Paul's Hostel in Worcester are having to make 'tough decisions' as demand outweighs provision

A hostel supporting homeless people wants to expand as it says it no longer has the space to meet need.

St Paul's in Worcester received nearly 60 referrals since September but could only help three people, said chief executive officer Jonathan Sutton.

"For seven years we have been pretty much full at St Paul's, which indicates the pressure on us," he explained.

The 42-space operation wishes to raise about £500,000 to create between 40 and 50 additional places.

Local councils were not currently in a position to provide financial help with the expansion plans, so there could be a fundraising drive in 2024, Mr Sutton said.

Rough sleeping was a year-round problem and getting worse, he added, and his staff were having to make tough decisions about whom they could assist.

Being able to reconfigure the Tallow Hill hostel to create extra spaces would "help enormously", he explained.

But Mr Sutton conceded assisting every rough sleeper was not possible, saying: "The best we can do is to make homelessness in Worcestershire rare."

He estimated there were currently 10 to 15 people sleeping rough in Worcester, and more than 40 across Worcestershire.