Kent homelessness charity facing £1m cuts
The Canterbury based charity said the future of their hostels is now uncertain.
A homelessness charity from Kent is facing cuts of £1m from it's annual budget.
Porchlight, which are based in Canterbury, support more than 9,000 individuals and families every year.
However, some could find themselves in difficult situations come April, with the cuts impacting Porchlight's ability to help those in need.
This includes Portlight's hostels provision, which now faces an uncertain future.
It follows the setting of Kent County Council budget, in which various funding cuts were made, due to financial pressures.
Charity spokesman Chris Thomas said: "It's devastating really, it's going to put the future of our hostels are risk, which are home to about 180 people.
"I promise you we will make sure we do everything we can to make sure they don't end up on the streets.
"However, if they are closed, that's 180 homes that won't be there anymore so for the next people who become homeless, where will they go? We're not sure.
"If they disappear it's going to be really dangerous for people, it can be the difference between life and death."
It comes at a time where homelessness is growing throughout the country, with last weeks statistics by revealing the number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2023 is 3,898, rising for the second year in a row,
In Kent, an estimated 146 people were sleeping rough in the county on a single night last autumn, 33 of them were in Canterbury.
The government said it had given local authorities in Kent up to £17m, through the rough sleeping initiative
Though the impact of this seems to have been limited such is the grave financial situation of the KCC, with many sectors in the county feeling the impact of various funding cuts.
A KCC spokesperson said: "We're very aware of Porchlight's concerns and working hard with them and our district and borough councils to ensure vulnerable residents at risk of becoming homeless continue to get the help they need.
"Most accommodation we directly funded through the Homeless Connect Service will be retained and discussion about future arrangements are continuing."