New homeless shelter for Jersey as demand increases due to coronavirus
Jersey's Shelter Trust is to open a new seven bedroom property in St Helier, to meet increased demand since the outbreak of coronavirus.
In the last two weeks days, 34 new residents have arrived, needing their help.
The charity currently offers 104 beds across several sites, and says its nearly full, with extra beds being made available in empty hotels and guesthouses to ensure nobody has to 'sleep rough'.
Shelter Chair, Neville Benbow, says he expects demand to rise further as the economic impact of the pandemic worsens.
The Shelter Trust has made several changes to its properties to ensure residents can comply with the rules of lockdown. As well as moving everyone to a single room, they have introduced a weekly GP clinic at Aztec House. A recent health check found that no homeless people had Covid-19.
Activity packs have been donated by the prison and the Alzheimers Association, to keep residents occupied while confined to their rooms.
Jersey's government says seasonal workers can apply for support from the government under the Covid Related Emergency Support Scheme (CRESS). This scheme is open to people who have been working in Jersey for less than 5 years, and have lost their full-time employment income because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
To apply for help through the CRESS email CRESS@gov.je or call 01534 444444.