A new £5.5million centre for the homeless was officially opened by Aberdeen City Council yesterday.
The complex – on the former Victoria House site on West North Street – boasts two separate units, a six-storey block of 20 flats for longer-term housing, and a three-storey block of 20 bedsits more suitable for short-term accommodation.
As well as providing a roof over people’s heads, the centre includes communal kitchens, laundry rooms and staff accommodation.
Occupants will also have access to support from the council to help get them back into employment and will be encouraged to learn vital life skills such as cooking and cleaning.
Joining the dignitaries at yesterday’s ceremony was Kurt Fraser, 21, who found himself homeless as a result of family issues.
He said the new centre would change his life for the better.
Mr Fraser said: “I had a lot of disagreements with my parents, so I got kicked out last year. I spoke to the council and got placed in the Bon Accord Street hostel, but it was quite crowded. Now I’ve been placed here, and it’s much better.
“It has been really good so far. It’s a really nice building, very spacious and there are plenty of things for us to do around here, we get a lot of support.
“Moving in here has been really helpful, you get your own space instead of having to live in a room with lots of other people, and it gets you used to living independently.”
Neil Cooney, the convener of the council’s communities, housing and infrastructure committee, said: “It’s a huge investment in people – £5million worth – but it’s worth it if we can turn their lives round, teach them the basic skills they need and get them back into mainstream housing and a mainstream lifestyle.
“We have a support system in place to get them back into employment, and we’ll even get them sorted out with any legal problems they may have, and we’ll also offer social support and budgeting skills.
“This will be a second start for many. At the end of the day it will be worth it, because we’ll have people graduating out of here as good citizens.”
The centre has been built in partnership with Kier Construction.