Homeless hostel could be anyone's saviour

One conversation with Darren Maltby was enough to show me how easily any of us can fall through society's cracks.

Smartly dressed, well groomed and articulate, he could easily be mistaken for a busy professional as he relaxed in his flat in Daybrook.

But just a matter of days ago the 40-year-old father-of-two was living on the streets.

The flat in question is one of 21 provided by homeless charity Framework at a total cost of £2.1 million. People referred by council officials in Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Gedling will stay there on a short-term basis to help them back to independence.

On my visit to the Elizabeth House facility this week I learned that cooking and budgeting classes are included for the service users. Darren, a qualified basketball coach and former school governor, doesn't need any educational support. What he does need is help getting his life back on track.

Two years ago his marriage broke up, with the resulting stress meaning he lost his job and quickly found himself without a place to live. He spent three months living on the streets in Nottingham before finding lodgings in Gedling borough - but after seven months there someone else needed the room and he was again homeless.

"I became very introverted," he said. "Having come from what I thought was a normal family with a normal job in the community being homeless was like nothing I ever envisaged."

I found it hard to credit that someone like this could have ended up with nowhere to turn.

But if his example shows anything, it's that even those with everything going for them can quickly spiral into darkness. Most people, including myself, would struggle to cope with such a dramatic change of circumstances.

It's precisely for this reason that Elizabeth House exists. It was not universally well-received - in January residents submitted a petition in protest at possible anti-social behaviour as a result of the site being located next to a children's playground.

Only time will tell how well grounded their fears will be, but there's no question about the importance of the service the hostel provides.

What do you think? Is Daybrook the right site for the new homeless hostel?