Fire adds to cash crisis at London hostel for homeless

By Christopher Rails FIRE broke out at the Providence Row night shelter in East London last Friday, causing extensive damage to the exterior of the building.
Women in the refuge were evacuated after flames, caused by ignited rubbish, shot up the side of the building, damaging exterior brickwork. windows and drainpipes.
A spokesman for the shelter, Mr Laurie Hindle, said this week that the fire could have been started deliberately. Police are witholding comment until their ' investigations are complete.
Mr Hindle said parts of the brickwork came away, the pointing was damaged. and new window frames would be needed. "The interior lighting was also affected" he added. "There is presently no lighting in parts of the building, and the washing-up boiler has been put out of action. When you have to feed 100 people a day, ja adds considerably to the difficulties".
He said he believed the damage would be covered by insurance, though he had no idea at this stage what the cost would he. Fortunately, he said, the fire was outside where they had had the foresight to provide alarms.
The fire has come at a time when Providence Row's financial position is desperate. Tightening up of local authority fire regulations means that the hostel will have to find £170.000 plus VAT by the end of this year. This includes 1(x,000 to provide proper means of escape. and £70,000 for complete internal rewiring.
Because of administrative hold-ups. said Mr Hindle. VAT was not coming back to them, "We will have to sell substantial investments to cover our costs," he said, and the fire damage could cost the shelter even more than they had been budgeting for, if insurance did not cover all the damage.
In addition to the £170,000 work required this year, Providence Row needs to spend more than £80.000 on improvements.