Homeless Crisis As 700 Beg For Help Every Week

The extent of Edinburgh’s homelessness crisis was laid bare today as it emerged 700 people are begging for help every week.

The Salvation Army says it is struggling to cope with a massive rise in the number of homeless people turning up at its city centre base.

The charity’s day centre in Bread Street is also coping with the fall-out from the closure of the Ark centre in New Street.

Alan Montgomery, the organisation’s co-ordinator of homeless services, said: “When we first opened Bread Street in 1997 we saw about 30 people a month.

“Now we get between 600 and 700 visits a week.” The charity is now looking for new, larger premises before its current lease runs out in May.

The closure of the Ark has led to a dramatic rise in complaints this summer about street drunks plaguing parts of the city centre.

Around 100 homeless people visited the Ark in a morning, and have now been left with nowhere to go but wander the streets.

The Salvation Army has tried to help fill the gap by opening for breakfast between 7am and 9am, leading to an extra 45 people using the centre every day.

But the charity said today it was anxious to find new premises as it was increasingly difficult to cope with the demand on its services.

Mr Montgomery said the 700 recorded visits each week could include people visiting more than once. But he added: “The number coming through the doors increases by between ten and 20 per cent a year.

“The volume of the people coming through the centre means that, because of the size of the premises, we have to find somewhere else so we can expand and update our service. We would like to provide a healthy eating programme, and parenting classes for families. It’s not that we’re turning people away – we wouldn’t do that. But it’s really crammed. People have to eat their meals standing up and we are not able to do as much for them as we would like.”

City centre councillor Joanna Mowat, who has asked the council to prepare a report on Edinburgh’s homeless situation, said she was keen to see the uncertainty facing the Salvation Army sorted out.

“The climate is such at the moment that people with city centre properties are going to want to develop rather than have the Salvation Army there,” she said. “If they did lose this premises that would be a disaster. Losing this service is exactly what we don’t want to see right now.” The charity has been asking the council for help to find new premises since before the May elections. However, the council has so far been unable to find a site for it.

A city council spokeswoman said: “We have been working closely with the Salvation Army and other voluntary organisations to help them find appropriate accommodation should their lease not be renewed in 2008.

“We are also eager to make sure they have proper facilities that meet the needs of the people for whom they are providing services.”