Police Commissioner calls for rethink on homeless hostels

Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, is calling for a radical rethink of how homeless hostels are run across the region, following a visit to Harbour Housing – a Cornwall-based charity that is gaining recognition for its transformative work with vulnerable individuals.

Commissioner Hernandez visited Cosgarne Hall in St Austell alongside leaders from Torbay Council and representatives from Devon & Cornwall Police, as part of a fact-finding mission to explore successful models for tackling homelessness, antisocial behaviour (ASB), and issues around drugs, alcohol and mental health. The visit was prompted by ongoing concerns about crime and disorder in Castle Circus, Torquay, where the Leonard Stocks homeless hostel is located.

“I was so impressed. It has shown we need an urgent rethink of how homeless hostel provisions are run in Devon,” said Commissioner Hernandez.
“Harbour Housing is a remarkable example of how collaborative working can achieve great success."

Harbour Housing supports around 200 residents across 50 sites between Liskeard and Camborne, offering supported accommodation and outreach services. The charity is known for a rehabilitative ethos that prioritises long-term change. It also plays a key role in reducing NHS pressure, offering hospital discharge accommodation that prevents bed blockages.

The visit included a tour of the charity’s facilities and a briefing on its Harbour Hotspots project – part of the Operation Loki Safer Streets initiative. The project addresses ASB in St Austell through an outreach team and patrols using a welfare assessment vehicle equipped with winter survival packs, a defibrillator, and naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal drug).

The charity also runs the EVA (Empowered, Values, Aware) Project, offering specialist support to women fleeing domestic abuse or sexual violence, and is piloting new return-to-work accommodation pods in Penzance in collaboration with Job Centre Plus.

Among the success stories is Helen-Marie, a former drug user who now helps run a café at Cosgarne Hall.

“Being able to come home to here and have a roof over your head and feel safe where you are living is massive for someone in recovery,” she said.
“I now have routine and access to onsite counselling and well-being services. It has helped me let go of the trauma I have been holding on to for 40 years and focus on my recovery.
I don’t take any drugs anymore, not even mental health medication. I feel amazing.”

Commissioner Hernandez praised this approach and highlighted the importance of a multi-agency model to support vulnerable people and reduce crime.

“Homelessness is an issue that is not going away. People are struggling on the streets and they are fighting to get the right support,” she said.
“From a police perspective, we should not be criminalising people who don’t need to be. Instead, we need to be ensuring they are given the help they need and that includes improving drug and alcohol treatment which will help combat homelessness, ASB and crime.”

Her comments come as the UK Government prepares to decriminalise rough sleeping in 2025 – a shift that places greater emphasis on support-based interventions over enforcement.

Local context: Leonard Stocks Centre in Torquay

In February 2023, Torbay Council took over operations of the Leonard Stocks Centre, and in November 2024, acquired the building outright. Since then, it has introduced reforms including:

• Mandatory engagement with on-site drug and alcohol services

• Strict anti-antisocial behaviour policies

• Reduced length of stay

• Fixed times for residency and curfews

Despite being frequently blamed for issues in the Castle Circus area, most incidents do not involve residents of the hostel.

Councillor Hayley Tranter, Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services at Torbay Council, said:

“We’re working with partners to look at some of the challenges to see how we can create new and innovative initiatives so we can better support individuals in the hostel and surrounding areas with their recovery.
It’s important to remember that most issues in and around Factory Row are not caused by residents of Leonard Stocks.”

With examples like Harbour Housing demonstrating a successful, person-centred model, pressure is now mounting for Devon’s hostel system to follow suit, transforming not just lives, but communities.