A NEW facility which aims to support people potentially facing homelessness when leaving hospital has opened in Cornwall.

Registered charity Harbour Housing, whose mission it is to provide safe homes and support to individuals who would otherwise face life on the street, has undertaken a conversion project on a property in St Blazey.

The property, named Cadmus, is designed to provide people, who might otherwise be discharged from hospital into emergency accommodation such as hotels or, in the worst-case scenario, onto the streets, with a secure place to stay.

Harbour Housing wanted to create a place where people could feel comfortable and supported during a vulnerable time in their lives. Consideration has gone into every aspect, from fixtures and fittings to the soft furnishings, with accessibility and inclusion at the heart of the project. As part of the scheme, the charity provides support to help each person transition towards a life of independent living.

Harbour Housing says the facility will help to reduce NHS bed blocking across the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and the Cornwall Foundation Trust.

The project has received support from local councillor and chairman of Cornwall Council Pauline Giles.

Group operations director Malcolm Putko said: “I had the privilege of showing St Blazey councillor Pauline Giles and Helen Toms from the Cornwall Council Safer Partnerships team around our new facility.

“We also had the opportunity to meet one of our very first residents, who had moved in the day before. It was heartening to hear the resident share their journey and feelings about moving in.

The resident said: “I was really scared about where I was going to live once I was discharged. I had been in the hospital for a long period of time due to a decline in my mental health. The anxiety of not having a home slowed down my recovery and I feared that I would be in hospital for Christmas, so I wouldn’t see my kids.”

During the visit, Malcolm and Harbour Housing head of estates Giles Asker told Cllr Giles more about how the project offers clients wraparound support from Cornwall Council, the NHS and adult social care, as well as a dedicated team of carers from Harbour's newly-formed care company, Harbour Care.

Cllr Giles said: “Every time Harbour get involved in something, they go above and beyond to make sure that the residents coming in have their needs met. It’s fabulous. Why wouldn’t you want to live here?”

Malcolm said: “I am immensely proud to be part of this innovative service. Since we began this type of provision, just after the pandemic, we have grown to six projects across Cornwall with the help of funding from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Cornwall Council and Harbour Housing trustees.”

Harbour Housing has three more properties earmarked for this type of project next year in West Cornwall and South East Cornwall. With one project, the charity is hoping it may be featured by the BBC’s Homes under the Hammer programme.