Redevelopment of Open Door begins (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Redevelopment of Open Door begins

3:07pm Tuesday 7th July 2009 in Open Door By Emma Crump

Work is about to start on the redevelopment of Open Door, the emergency night shelter in Bricket Road that has helped over 7,000 vulnerable, homeless people in St Albans since 1993.

The refurbishment of the Victorian building that Open Door uses will provide single bedrooms with wash facilities, rather than the existing dormitory accommodation. This will offer a much better environment for homeless people that will help boost self-esteem and support them as they seek to change their lives. Other improvements to the building will include the extension of the communal areas to offer access to computers, so opening up on-line resources to help users back into longer term housing, education and work. Revised room arrangements will improve the provision of counselling as well as access to physical and mental healthcare, so addressing the problems that can lead to homelessness.

The pressures on the staff and volunteers will be reduced through improvements to the kitchen, food storage, laundry facilities and the staff overnight accommodation. The developments will also give access to disabled users.

Cllr Joyce Lusby, portfolio holder for housing at St Albans and District Council said “I am delighted that work is underway to improve the facilities at Open Door, these will better enable the staff and volunteers to support people to change their lives.”

To enable the building works to get underway, Open Door has moved to temporary accommodation, and can no longer accept direct access clients. All referral agencies will be advised on a daily basis of how many vacant beds are available, and clients will need to be referred by 5.00pm. Night shelter clients will be offered individual resettlement appointments with Day Service staff at our offices in St Albans.

Normal service will be resumed once Open Door moves back into the redeveloped building on Bricket Road, in February/March next year.

St Albans City District Council and Hightown submitted a joint bid for funding under the ‘Places for Change Programme’ and were successful in being allocated a grant of £525,000. The redevelopment work will cost approximately £825,000, leaving a shortfall of up to £300,000 to be raised by the Open Door Trust.

The redevelopment work is being done by Hertfordshire builders Jarvis Contracting.