Cost of living sees spike in Wiltshire homeless shelter referrals
The Alabaré charity says they're at full capacity at some of their sites
A homeless charity in Wiltshire told us the number of people being referred to them for support has increased since the cost of living has gone up.
Alabaré runs a range of homes, drop-in centres and support services dedicated to helping the homeless and vulnerable, including veterans and young people.
Chief Executive at Alabaré, Andrew Lord, told Greatest Hits Radio that last week they ran out of beds at their sites in Wiltshire, as more people are being tipped into poverty due to increased living costs.
"We are seeing more people in need of support, and what we're seeing is that not only are we getting more referrals, but also occupancy levels have increased as well.
"We're actually in a situation in Wiltshire, at the moment, and many of our services, that are currently full."
The charity runs two veteran homes across Salisbury and Hampshire, and The Wiltshire Foyer, in Wiltshire, which provides accommodation for vulnerable 18 to 25-year-olds.
Last year, they supported over 2,000 people across the region.
"If I just focus on the 130 bed spaces that we have for the homeless, those bed spaces are in Wiltshire, Devon and also North Somerset", said Mr Lord.
"As of Friday of last week, we currently have just two empty bed spaces."
Residents can stay for up to two years in accommodation.
Chief Executive, Andrew Lord, is worried they might have to turn people away this winter, if they cannot free up space for new residents.
As winter approaches and with the rising financial pressures that tenants are facing, the charity fears that many more people could be tipped into crisis and homelessness.
They also fear that financial worries and heightened overall anxiety will mean an increase in the number of people needing support with their mental health and wellbeing.
“We know that more and more people are struggling, and we fear that this winter will be an incredibly hard one for many people. We expect to see similar increasing need across all our services as the winter rolls on.
“As a charity we are struggling as well. As all our bills rise, the cost of providing a safe home, support and training to homeless and vulnerable people in our communities is getting harder and harder to meet.
“We are facing a perfect storm of more people needing our help, at a time when we could be faced with closing services if we cannot raise the funds we need to run them."
Alabaré receives most of its funding from the Government but also relies on donations.
The charity is aiming to raise an extra £500,000 this year to keep all their services running.
They say donations have dropped as people and funders have reduced their giving.
"We know that many are having to reduce their giving this year and of course we understand why. But if people’s circumstances mean that they can, then we are asking them to urgently donate to us. We are so grateful for every one’s support."
More information is available on the Alabare website.