‘Old and run down’ St Julian’s House is ‘not fit for purpose’

St Julian’s House, which does not allow residents to use drugs or drink alcohol on or off the premises, was said to be unsuitable to anyone with a physical disability or mobility issues in a comprehensive report of homelessness in Guernsey.

The States agreed in 2005 that £915,000 was required to upgrade the accommodation.

The funding would have turned the annexe into single-room accommodation for up to five, and divided the main house into 21 single units. In total 26 new units could have been created.

But those plans were shelved and alternatives were explored.

‘It is old and run down, set over many levels with steps and staircases, and doesn’t have any wet rooms,’ a homelessness report outlined.

It was carried out by the Guernsey Community Foundation, which had been commissioned by Maison St Pierre.

It is one of two emergency accommodation facilities in the island, along with Nightstop. The building is structured with dormitories with 20 beds for men and six for women, mostly in four-bed shared rooms.

‘While parts of St Julian’s are listed, major renovation could still be carried out in a way that at least increases standards of privacy and makes parts of the property more disability-friendly. But the States does not seem interested,’ the report said.

Each year, In-Dependence works with around 200 people trying to overcome addiction, about 5% of which are homeless.

Business manager Tracey Rear said St Julian’s carried a stigma. ‘People don’t want to live there.’

She said people struggling with addiction needed a sense of security, a sense of purpose and the safety of somewhere to go.

When the research was carried out, the oldest resident in St Julian’s was in their 80s, and the youngest was 19.