Charity Turns Empty Listed Building Into Flats For The Homeless

A charity in Worcester has converted an empty listed building into 25 flats that aim to tackle homelessness in the area.

Worcester Municipal Charities bought the Grade II listed former probation office on Shaw Street and converted it into accommodation to house homeless people in the area.

The £2.2m project, now renamed Stillingfleet House was funded with the help of a £1m grant from Homes England and a £500,000 loan from Unity Trust Bank, as well as the charity’s own resources.

The loan came as a result of the listed building restoration, as dry rot was discovered during the renovation process which cost £100,000 to fix. Unity Trust Bank stepped in to fill the temporary cash-flow gap, given that the project will help young vulnerable people.

 The charity themselves owned the building, and chairman Paul Griffith claimed that the building generated £150,000 a year in rent in years past.

However, after struggling to find new tenants and facing either expensive redevelopment or minuscule sales, they opted instead to convert the historic building into flats to help accommodate up to 25 young homeless people.

According to the WMC’s almshouse policies, any person who lives in Worcester who is at risk of or is homeless, has low income or receives housing benefit, and does not have the means to buy anywhere suitable to meet their needs qualifies for housing under this scheme.

 Some of the first tenants to move in have previously been living in the Fownes Hotel, which had laid dormant over the past year as a result of the current circumstances and are expected to move into the new flats sometime in June.