Steine House is given a new lease of life by Brighton YMCA
Steine House, the YMCA building which has supported homeless people for 50 years, is back in use after a fire in July 2009, offering 11 supported accommodation units.
The house was once the home of the Prince Regent’s companion Maria Fitzherbert, who was dubbed the “Queen of Brighton”. She lived there for a number of years before her death in 1837.
Karen, who has been offered a flat in the redeveloped Steine House, is looking forward to moving in: “I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia, she said. “When I heard about Steine House, I was feeling particularly low.
“Now, every time I feel unwell or anxious, I think of the view from the flat’s kitchen window. I also get very tired, so those days when I cannot go out, I will have my sea view from the kitchen and the bedroom facing up to the green, to keep me company.
“Since my diagnosis, I’m at the hospital a lot. Travelling to the hospital and the London specialists will be much easier from Steine House than from Portslade, where I used to live. I am looking forward to this clean, fresh new start.”
Noeleen Connolly, Brighton YMCA’s client involvement manager, was one of Steine House’s managers when the building used to provide 62 units of accommodation for single homeless men.
She said: “The accommodation was quite basic but provided essential support for some of the most vulnerable people in Brighton.
“One of the loveliest things about Steine House was that you could interview a person, offer them a room, a meal and most importantly the safety of being off the streets.
“It’s so good to see this building once again able to offer accommodation, and at the same time encouraging independence.”
Further restoration of other parts of the building will continue once the new accommodation is complete.
Click here for more information about Brighton YMCA.
