A £300,000 investment has brought big changes to a Herefordshire home supporting the homeless.

Councillors and other invited guests enjoyed an open day to tour the completely refurbished Hope Scott House (HSH) on June 22.

Herefordshire Council’s £300,000 investment allowed HSH to add a single storey extension to its main building, develop 11 en-suite rooms, two self-contained residential pods (steel shipping containers converted to highly insulated, modern living spaces) as well as specialist support for the centre’s 13 residents who would otherwise be homeless.

Run by volunteer trustees, HSH is an integral part of the council’s pathway to help homeless people and rough sleepers. It provides accommodation and intensive support to help its residents re-establish themselves and move on to independent living. Help provided by its two support workers and house manager include basic living skills, such as gardening, cooking and money management.

Set on the outskirts of Hereford, HSH offers its residents comfortable bedrooms, laundry facilities and a communal lounge. Outside, its back garden features a lawn space and a vegetable patch tended by residents and staff.

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Councillor Angela Tyler, cabinet member for housing, regulatory services and community, said: “Hope Scott House provides a sanctuary for people who have had the misfortune to find themselves living on the streets. It’s very welcoming and offers bright, airy and comfortable living space. Its highly skilled staff are wholly supportive of its residents and provide many of the skills they need to go and find employment and live the kind of independent life most of us take for granted. It supports our policy on helping people in the county who are homeless.

"It was great to see how well Herefordshire Council’s investment has been used and I am confident many, many people will benefit from the help the centre provides.”