Rossendale £420K homeless shelter to open (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rossendale £420K homeless shelter to open

9:00am Saturday 14th January 2012 in Rawtenstall By Vanessa Cornall, Reporter

A RUN-down homeless shelter in Rossendale has been given a £420,000 facelift.

The formerly dilapidated Clare House in Queen Street, Rawtenstall, has been overhauled to accomodate 14 homeless people aged between 16 to 25.

The project was supported by £350,000 investment from the Homes and Communities Agency's National Affordable Homes Programme with Rossendale Council providing the remaining funding.

The home now boasts ensuite toilet and shower facilities as well as five new emergency accommodation units, including one with disabled facilities.

The annex building provides three units of 'move on' accomodation, as the next step towards sustaining independent tenancy.

Staff facilities have also been improved including the central office space and CCTV monitoring.

Work to refurbish the centre, which opened in 1970, took place over the summer with residents moving out to Springfield Court in Bacup More than 1,100 people are declare themselves homeless in Rossendale each year; 450 of them are aged under 25.

Coun Helen Jackson, Rossendale Council’s portfolio holder for housing and environmental health, said: “The transformation has been remarkable, and I’m sure the young people who are tenants at the project will benefit greatly from their improved surroundings.”

Clare House is owned by Rossendale Council but run by Lancashire County Council.

Deborah McLaughlin, Executive Director North West at the HCA, said: “Projects like Clare House can play a significant role in transforming young lives by offering welcoming accommodation that creates opportunities for people to build confidence and develop new skills.”

Clare House will be officially opened with a ribbon cutting event on January 18.