A cornerstone of Bath’s support network for homeless individuals, Julian House, is confronting a critical challenge: the potential loss of its current premises under Manvers Street Baptist Church. This basement space, home to the “Off the Streets” hostel, has been operating beyond capacity, accommodating 20 sleeping pods and even converting communal areas into temporary beds, underscoring the urgent demand for services.
On June 27, Wera Hobhouse, Bath Liberal Democrat MP, visited Julian House to witness firsthand the charity’s struggle. The lease on the Manvers Street location expires in August 2026, prompting urgent discussions with Bath and North East Somerset Council to secure a new home for this vital service.
With nearly four decades of experience serving Bath’s rough sleepers, Julian House provided 96,816 bed spaces last year alone. Their efforts helped 371 people transition from street homelessness to stable accommodation and supported over 2,700 vulnerable individuals on their journey to independence.
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Rory Cozzolino, Julian House Team Leader and former rough sleeper, emphasized the hostel’s importance: “It is a place that offers warm, safe, welcoming, and comfortable surroundings, along with dignity and a sense of hope. The thought of losing this is unbearable.”
Chief Executive Helen Bedser highlighted the broader challenges facing the charity: “Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and the chance to build a better future. We support hundreds at crisis points, from rough sleepers to those escaping domestic abuse. However, ongoing budget pressures threaten the sustainability of these essential services.”
Bedser called on the council to prioritize finding a new facility swiftly, warning that any gap in shelter provision could have devastating consequences for the city’s most vulnerable.
MP Wera Hobhouse has taken the issue to the national level, writing to Secretary of State Angela Rayner to demand increased funding and ring-fenced support for local authorities tackling homelessness. Hobhouse stressed, “Local authorities are underfunded and stretched thin. We must ensure that organisations like Julian House can continue their indispensable work to provide safety and stability—a basic human necessity.”
She also reminded the public that homelessness can affect anyone, especially amid ongoing cost of living pressures and personal crises, hoping that a timely, local solution will prevent disruption to these critical support services.