Hostel needs £500,000 for safety and repairs

THE INSTALLATION Of proper fire precautions will cost a London hostel for the homeless more than £200,000 this year — and a similar amount of money is needed to cover other urgent repairs.
The financial problems facing the Providence Row Night Refuge and Home in East London are set out in its latest annual report, which says that the costs which will have to be met in 1981 will be "well over £400,000". It is appealing for help.
The report highlights the difficulties that many hostels will have in meeting local authorities' safety requirements. The provision of proper means of escape will cost Providence Row about
£100,000: another CO3d00 is needed for re-wiring, following a survey which revealed that much of the present wiring was in a "deplorable" state: the price of extensive fire detection, alarm and emergency lighting systems is £35,000.
Redecoration of the buildings also involves massive expenditure. When the fire precaution works have been carried out internal redecoration will cost about £8000. and another £3540,000 is needed for work on the outside of the buildings.
The accounts for 1980 show tliat the balance at the end of last September was only £6456: the total income for the star was £226,222.