VOLUNTEERS at a charity fighting homelessness are to be thrown out onto the streets in just a few weeks’ time, it has been revealed.
Homeless in Teignbridge Support – or HITS – is being forced out of its Newton Abbot base to make way for a major housing development.
But workers reckon the food bank is destined to close for good unless they can find a new home and some more money.
A trio of disasters has hit the hard-working Bradley Lane-based charity – leaving a big cloud of uncertainty hanging over it.
Teignbridge Council has ordered HITS to leave its current base because the authority has earmarked the area for housing.
Plans to move into a nearby vacant property crumbled after charity bosses found out the district council was trying to snap up that building as well.
HITS wasted nearly £5,000 in solicitor fees and other legal costs trying to get the hub – and now it desperately needs the cash back to stay afloat.
And to make matters even worse the charity has lost a major funder.
A HITS spokesman explained: ‘It is looking more and more likely that the charity is going to close for good unless we can find a new home and funding.
‘Our plans to move elsewhere collapsed because Teignbridge are trying to buy the same building and to top it off we then lost one of our funders.’
The charity is one of five organisations which are having to re-locate as Teignbridge wants to clear the site and build 170 homes as well as employment units.
Bosses at joinery specialists Benbow are shifting their 90-strong workforce to a new £2m building on the Brunel Industrial Estate – which is owned by Teignbridge Council.
Anyone who knows of a possible or new home – or wants to help out financially – should contact HITS on 01626 906371.