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Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has officially launched the city’s new rough sleeping shelter - and announced that he will IGNORE government policy so everyone can have somewhere safe to stay.

The ECHO visited the new £250,000 homeless facility at Labre House, in Camden Street off London Road - where four floors have been dedicated to helping Liverpool’s most vulnerable people.

The building is designed to be much more than a shelter for people and is undergoing renovation work to turn it into a specialist hub offering a range of services for people issues such as health, benefits and alcohol and substance support.

There will also be housing advice, access to computers and telephones to help people get back in touch with family and friends.

Named after Benedict Joseph Labre - the Patron Saint of the homeless - the facility will be “one of the most ambitious of its kind” according to the council, providing specific tailored support not only to get rough sleepers off the streets, but to help them turn their lives around.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

And crucially, in a break from national government policy, Mayor Anderson has insisted that all people on the streets - including failed asylum seekers who are deemed to have “no recourse to public funds” - will be offered help at Labre House.

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The centre will be bringing together the city’s various voluntary groups, in a bid to co-ordinate Liverpool’s effort in tackling rough sleeping into one place.

Explaining the thinking behind Labre House, Mayor Anderson said: “I can’t begin to imagine how desperate it is to find yourself out on the streets of our city – especially during the winter.

“The council spends £11m every year tackling homelessness – helping families and individuals avoid rough sleeping. I am now determined that we will end rough sleeping in Liverpool once and for all and I am prepared to spend whatever it takes to guarantee that no-one shivers to death on the streets of my city.”

He added: “I simply will not tolerate a situation where our fellow human beings feel they have no other option than to live on the streets. This includes those deemed to have ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’. Any rough sleeper will get help.

“We will shortly be launching a campaign ‘Always Room Inside’ to explain how we are working to address rough sleeping and ensure there is, literally always room inside – day and night – and what the public can do to help us by signposting any rough sleepers they meet towards our services.”

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

One person who is using the new centre already is 35-year-old Jamie, who has been on and off the streets for the past four years.

He said: “It was a bit hectic at first but its indoors, you can get fed, you can watch telly if you want to, I have only been using it for a week after being on the streets for a year and it’s made a big difference.

“In the city centre you are getting woken up every hour by security, police, drunks - it feels safe in there.”

Jamie became homeless after his landlord kicked him out while he was ill in hospital - he said the services at Labre House are helping him get his life back on track.

He said: “They can get you registered with a doctor, get you on medication, help you with your benefits and things.”

Council data shows that In November, 133 people were homeless and at imminent risk of rough sleeping, of which 92% (122) were supported indoors and successfully prevented from spending a first night out on the street.

A total of 85 different people were observed bedding down on the streets of which 61 were successfully supported to come indoors / to return to accommodation.