Concern as homeless hostel in Wellingborough set to shut its doors

A building that has become a temporary home for dozens of people facing life on the streets in Wellingborough is to shut its doors.

Residents at the Seen and Heard residence, formerly the Euro Hotel, in Midland Road have been send letters telling them that the hostel is closing.

The building is used as temporary accommodation for vulnerable people who usually have nowhere else to go. It was formerly the notorious Euro Hotel but was boarded up in 2019 after the death of Jonathan Upex there.

A review said he had been the victim of many missed opportunities to help him.

The hostel reopened in 2021 to try to fill a chronic lack of temporary accommodation in the area.

Using emergency powers because of intense pressure on services, North Northamptonshire Council decided to pay the building’s owners, The Housing Network, to run the 18-bed unit. It was designed as a stop-gap between homelessness and moving on to more secure accommodation.

Jonathan’s family helped choose its new name – the Seen and Heard, in his memory.

But ironically no new sign was ever put up at the front of the building.

It was contracted to provide 24-hour security, round-the-clock maintenance, CCTV in communal areas and experienced staff to support the vulnerable residents.

But another homeless person, Chereen Scotland, died there in 2022.

The Housing Network had promised to refurbish the building in 2021 but when our reporters visited last week there were clearly some serious cosmetic issues with the front of the building.

Tenants have not been given a reason for the closure, and local rough-sleeper volunteers and workers have also been left in the dark.

They have also been told that a smaller hostel in nearby Knox Road is also closing.

Volunteers believe that it will leave many people in a vulnerable situation with nowhere to go.

One person connected with the Seen and Heard, who did not wish to be named, said: “It’s dreadful. It’s their home. These people have a community here. I can’t think what they are going to do.”

Back in December a rough sleeper died in Croyland Park in Wellingborough. At that time Cllr Val Anslow (Lab, Croyland), who dedicated years to working with homeless people, said that not enough was being done to help homeless people in North Northamptonshire.

Now she says that local councillors have not been formally informed of the closure of the Seen and Heard.

"I was informed by a service user,” she told this newspaper.

"It’s not come through any meeting that I’ve been to.

"I was very surprised when I heard. They’re already having problems with capacity and now they’ve got to find room for 18 more people.

“It’s not only used by people from Wellingborough – it’s also used as temporary accommodation for people in Corby and Kettering.

"It wasn’t perfect, there were some people put there who shouldn’t have been there, but it did provide a warm place for people to sleep."

The building is ultimately owned by Imperial Portfolios Limited, which has the same directors as The Housing Network. It was purchased for £595,000 in July 2015.

The Housing Network is the trading name of Centennial Property Limited – which doubled its value from £2m in 2022 to £4m in 2023. It provides temporary accommodation for more than 65 local authorities.

The value of the contract between North Northamptonshire Council and The Housing network is unknown, and our reporters were unable to find any mention of it on the official contracts register.

In December 2021, when it reopened, local news outlet NN Journal reported that the first three months would cost NNC £29,000 and then the authority hoped to get a Government grant to cover the cost going forward. At that time, the council’s executive delegated authority for block-booking of the hotel to senior officers and to the executive member.

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: “The Council was recently advised by The Housing Network, which is the managing agent of the Seen and Heard premises, that Seen and Heard must close at the end of March 2024.

“The Council’s Temporary Accommodation and Rough Sleeping Teams are working hard to make arrangements for alternative accommodation for all residents in preparation for the closure.

“We understand that this news may be worrying for residents and have made direct contact to offer reassurance and have provided contact details should they need immediate support.

“Over the coming weeks, officers from the Temporary Accommodation or Rough Sleeping Teams will contact residents to discuss their situations, potential move on plan and any additional support that may be needed.”

The Housing Network did not respond to our request for comment.