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New house for homeless veterans offers 'opportunity'

Ben Prater,BBC Radio Wiltshireand
Holly Rattley,Wiltshire
News imageSteve Coombs Veteran Steve Coombs wearing a navy blue cap with the logo SVL on it and a white t-shirt looking straight-faced and standing in front of blue sky with some clouds. Steve Coombs
Veteran Steve Coombs said he was living in a tent in the woods before he moved into Alabaré's accommodation

An ex-serviceman said he was "very lucky" to move into new accommodation for homeless veterans after spending months living in a tent in woods.

Steve Coombs, 66, became homeless after a relationship breakdown and said he was "absolutely knackered" before being offered a room in Alabaré's third veteran house in Salisbury.

Coombs said his new home offers "opportunity, safety and security".

Mike Bedford, Alabaré's veteran service manager, said the new house increases their bed spaces in the city from 11 to 18, adding the charity aims to "empower" veterans to live independently.

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News imageAlabaré A bedroom in the Alabaré Veterans House in Salisbury featuring a black metal-framed single bed with a blue stripey mattress, a wooden bed-side table and a black wall lamp, set against beige walls and two large windows with the street, houses and trees outside. Alabaré
Coombs said he was "quite emotional" when he moved into the house earlier this month

Coombs was one of the first people to move into Alabaré's new accommodation when it opened earlier this month.

"I am very very lucky. When I first moved in I was absolutely knackered - I had scars, cuts, bruises - I was absolutely down in the dumps.

"The staff here were so kind - I was quite emotional," he said.

The typical length of stay for people in transitional housing is between six months and two years.

Andy Burnham made ending rough sleeping his first pledge when entering Downing Street in July and now says he wants to "get everyone in for Christmas".

Emergency accommodation will be provided alongside practical support for any health needs, as part of a £442m package.

Bedford said Alabaré was set to open another six-bedroom house in Devizes later in the year, pushing their offering up to 24 bed spaces in Wiltshire.

"We're working towards having the extra bed spaces in time for Christmas to get to the prime minister's pledge...but it's hoped it goes further and moves people into temporary accommodation and then into their own permanent accommodation," Bedford added.

News imageAlabaré A head and shoulder image of Alabaré Veteran Service Manager Mike Bedford with short grey hair and blue eyes wearing a beige, white a blue striped shirt, an orange lanyard and standing in front of a window with grey curtains.Alabaré
Bedford said the charity's aim was to "enable and empower" veterans to move on to their own accommodation

It comes as Reform UK said it wanted to use unused military accommodation to look after homeless veterans.

Commenting on the policy, Bedford said: "It could be a good idea but the people who come to stay with us need a lot of support with physical and mental health...so it would need wraparound care."

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