A new advice centre for homeless people has been announced for Croydon town centre, as one local charity boss said homelessness in the borough was the worst it had been in almost 40 years.

Crisis plans to open a “Skylight” centre next summer, offering education, health, housing advice and employment services.

Janice Gunn, director of Crisis Skylight Croydon, said the new centre – which does not yet have a location – would be a “friendly, professional and ambitious project”.

She said: “We want to engage with people wherever they are, in hostels, on the streets or living in temporary accommodation.

“We will work alongside those already supporting people facing homelessness across the borough.”

A count carried out by Croydon Council in November 2014 estimated 30 people were sleeping rough in the borough – a 650 per cent increase since 2010.

But Jad Adams, chairman of the Croydon Nightwatch, a volunteer group, believed the true number was even higher.

He said: “For example, they count people in bus shelters, but not those sleeping on night buses.”

He described Croydon’s homelessness as “worse than [it had] ever been”.

He added: “We’re going to help [Crisis] in every way possible. Things are worse than they have ever been before, since I started with Nightwatch in 1979.”

Croydon Councillor Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning, suggested the new centre would be a welcome partner to council services under pressure from public spending cuts.

She said: “Croydon, like all of London, is facing a housing crisis and sadly this means more and more people are presenting to councils as homeless.

“The council can only do so much, and having Crisis based in the town centre will improve and strengthen how we are able to tackle homelessness."

Crisis has already started hiring for a new Croydon team – including an arts coordinator, a housing coach, and a work and learning coach – to start work in late autumn this year.

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