Homelessness charity searches for new site

A charity dedicated to helping people off the street has said it has been looking for a new site to relocate to because of rising demand for its services.

Jimmy's Cambridge said the current lease at its 25-person capacity building on East Road in the city will run out in 2032.

Chief executive Natasha Davies said the charity had been looking to develop a new building that would include bedrooms, NHS services, communal areas and a cafe, which would also be open to the wider community.

"We have to do a lot of work up until 2032 to try and find a new home for us and try and increase capacity as well, because unfortunately homelessness is just rising," she said.

Davies said Jimmy's had been located in the former Sunday school of Zion Baptist Church for 31 years.

According to the charity, about 2,000 people across the county are living in emergency housing with 40 people a night sleeping rough in Cambridge.

It said rates of homelessness were at a record high, with the cost of living, rising rents and unaffordable housing contributing factors for the increase.

"We're incredibly grateful that we've had that space for as long as we've had," said Davies.

"It's a really short space of time when you're thinking about having to fundraise for something new, or to even try to find a space for us," she said.

Davies said fundraising had already begun for the new building.

"We want something really grounded in the community and co-created with the community so that it is not just a home for people who desperately need somewhere to live and who need quite an intensive level of support, but it's also a wonderful space of community infrastructure for everyone," she added.

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