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Caroline Flint with Minister for Communities Iain Wright and St Mungo’s chief executive Charles Fraser |
Controversial Covent Garden hostel for
homeless reopens
A CONTROVERSIAL hostel for the homeless in Covent Garden has reopened after a £3million makeover.
Housing Minister Caroline Flint said St Mungo’s in Endell Street would confound campaigners who warned the revamped hostel would spell a return to drug dealing and aggressive begging in the area.
Ms Flint, who toured the hostel on Monday, said: “We need to do some myth-busting about homelessness with local residents. We understand people have legitimate concerns about the centre, but often these fears are not in tune with the reality.”
Staff at the 52-bed hostel, which is reopening after a year-long refurbishment and change of management, played down residents fears.
St Mungo’s chief executive Charles Fraser took Ms Flint’s message one step further saying he would not be forced into “apologising” for caring for the homeless.
He said: “We know we have a lot of responsibilities, but we will not apologise to the local community for looking after the homeless.
“People need to be more tolerant because we’ve been here since 1974 and are very much part of the community.
“The grant has completely transformed the centre. We now have a modern, state-of-the-art centre, and residents are reciprocating the high standards that have been set. For them, Endell Street is not just a roof over their heads, it’s a place where they can access the support and training that will lead to long-term self-reliance.”
Since closing last year, residents and local businesses mounted a battle to block the hostel reopening – lobbying for the building to be transformed into a nursing home.
Jo Weir, of the Covent Garden Community Association, said: “We feel it deeply inappropriate to have a homeless hostel where there is so much temptation.” |
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