Planned cuts to shelters in England will cost lives, say homeless people

Council funding crisis threatens hostels and support workers from next month

Homeless people struggling with addiction and their mental health have attacked a looming wave of council cuts to hostel services as “plain stupidity” that will cost lives.

A deepening town hall funding crisis is threatening shelters and support workers from Hampshire to Leicestershire, affecting hundreds of homeless people from the start of next month despite rising homelessness.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org