CRASH Project Brief: Homeground Hostel, Liverpool

Along with a range of other services, Local Solutions provides accommodation and support to homeless people in the North West of England and North Wales. Established in 1974, they have a proven track record of improving the quality of life for vulnerable and excluded people.

The need

Situated in the heart of Liverpool, Homeground Hostel has been operating for 23 years providing accommodation to single homeless people under 26.

The hostel can accommodate 29 people, and for the last five years, occupancy has consistently been at capacity.

Homeground Hostel occupies the top two floors of the building. The rest of the building is occupied by other Local Solutions services and partners (non-accommodation based)

The hostel has not undergone any major refurbishment since it was opened, and now urgently requires a makeover which will enable it to comply with current quality standards, and continue providing accommodation to young people in need in Liverpool.

The solution

To meet the required standards, Homeground Hostel needs to provide:

En-suite facilities for each resident
Better ratio of cooking facilities to rooms and better quality facilities
An element of self-contained accommodation to prepare residents for independent living
Additional space for training, 121 work, and engagement with community groups and services

How patrons can help

We are now looking for a CRASH Patron who can assist Local Solutions in reviewing the options available to them to:

Ensure current proposals meet the needs of the charity and external funding providers
Review existing plans and survey information and advice on requirements to develop scheme to full feasibility
Provide an indicative cost estimate for the refurbishment

The current funding for Homeground Hostel runs until January 2019. In order that the charity can implement the required changes by this time, we are looking for expressions of interest to carry out an options appraisal and assist Local Solutions in developing a realistic and achievable plan to take this refurbishment forward.

If you are interested in assisting with this project and would like to find out more, please contact: Claire English, Projects and Resources Manager projectsmanager@dev.crash.org.uk 0208 742 0717

Current plans and surveys available on request.