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Soho’s homeless dealt a blow as hostel set to close after 40 years
Twelve beds at historic St Anne’s House will make way for advice centre
A PIONEERING hostel in Soho is set to close its doors to the homeless after nearly 40 years.
St Anne’s House in Dean Street, where the charity Centrepoint-Soho was founded, has applied for planning permission to convert its basement hostel into an advice centre for the homeless.
The historic refuge, boasting 12 beds in ornate oak-paneled walls and stained glass windows, was set up by Rev Ken Leech, who founded the pioneering Centrepoint charity there in 1969.
Assistant priest Revd Simon Buckley confirmed that the basement hostel is still active, but refused to comment beyond saying that its future is “complicated”.
Philip Burke from the Simon Community said: “Provision for homeless in Soho is a big issue.
“We have an acute shortage of beds and affordable housing and a burgeoning homeless community.
“It is not a good formula.”
He added: “Any loss of beds is a major issue.
In the winter of 1969 a young curate, Ken Leech, and the Simon Community became so concerned about young people sleeping on the streets in the West End that they decided to do something about it.
Mr Leech and a group of volunteers from the Simon Community opened the basement of St Anne’s Church in Soho in December 1969 as a temporary night shelter.
Mr Leech, recalling the build-up to the historic hostel opening, said: “We went ahead without planning permission.
“We cleaned the basement, borrowed beds from Guy’s Hospital and scrounged food from local pubs.
“We had little more than £30 in the bank when we started.”
Now a registered charity and a housing association, Centrepoint has helped more than 60,000 homeless young people, providing emergency and long-term housing and support in shelters, hostels, foyers and flats across London.
The Centrepoint move is another blow to the homeless community in the West End.
The House of St Barnabas, in Greek Street – a haven for the homeless – was forced to close in June, with the loss of 39 beds and 19 staff, because of cuts in government funding. |
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