A new homelessness hub has opened in Bishop Auckland, amid reports of a growing demand from those with nowhere to live.
The new Cornerstone hub opened on Monday (October 6) on Finkle Street, following the success of their Hartlepool site.
It comes as World Homeless Day on Friday (October 10) raises awareness of the struggles those who find themselves without a home face.
Speaking at the opening event, officers from Bishop Auckland Police told the Echo there is “a growing demand on the police and homeless agencies in the area.”
Georgina Mawson, 25, from Cornerstone, added: “We get so many people that come to us when situations hit them and they become homeless who say they didn't know we were here, and until you're in that situation you don't know about it.”
The charity has managed a Hartlepool site for more than 20 years.
The new Bishop Auckland site will be open twice a week, currently expected to be on Mondays and Thursdays, and will provide access to food, showers, laundry facilities, and one-to-one support for those needing help.
World Homeless Day falls in the charity's 'busiest week of the year', and the team will host a 'sleepout' on Friday, staying overnight at the nearby Tesco with rough sleepers to ensure 'nobody sleeps alone on World Homeless Day'.
Nikki Morson, 40, from Cornerstone, added: "Often, if police find anybody rough sleeping, they put their trust in our hub and we look at housing from there. A lot of the time it's a difficult situation, but this way it gets them away and keeps the community straight."
The team also includes a therapy dog, Bob, who is currently the only therapy dog in the UK working to support the homeless.
Durham County Council said it has “several initiatives” in place to tackle and prevent homelessness and added the its homelessness and rough sleeping strategy outlines how it plans to prevent it, and provide accommodation and support
Mike Allum, strategy and delivery manager, said: “Homelessness is not an issue exclusive to County Durham.
“Through these schemes we work closely with providers such as Cornerstone and are pleased to see the opening of a new hub. This will support our ongoing work to address homelessness by providing vital support to those experiencing it.”
A spokesperson for Bishop Auckland Town Council, added that, while they are not directly involved with the hub, they support these initiatives that ‘contribute to the wellbeing and safety of all residents’.
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The town's MP Sam Rushworth, who attended the opening, on Monday said: “When I met with Cornerstone to discuss rising rough sleeping in the town centre, I was reassured to hear they aim to move people into temporary accommodation the very same day.
“That’s exactly the kind of fast, compassionate response we need because nobody should be sleeping rough on our streets.”
He also added that since 2010, after 14 years of Conservative rule, rough sleeping soared by 164% - leading to an almost £1 billion investment from the Labour government to help councils ‘tackle and prevent homelessness’.
The Government announced on Friday £1.5m of investment for the North East from an £84m pot for councils nationally to tackle homelessness ahead of the winter.
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