RESIDENTS at one of the country's last remaining wet houses will all have been rehomed by the end of today when the facility shuts its doors for the last time.

Hannah House - a social housing project run by BCHA - closes at the end of this week as a result of ongoing financial issues after Bournemouth Borough Council withdrew funding due to central Government cuts.

Around £150,000 needed to be found to save the service which BHCA has been unable to do.

It means that the home's last remaining residents will be rehomed.

Assistant director, Carmen White, said all residents had had individual plans put in place, following discussions with the council, and will either be placed into supported accommodation or they will be rehomed into independent living.

"We are disappointed and we are concerned because, regardless, this has been a service that has been in the community for some time," she said. "We have managed to rehouse the customers for Hannah House, however that has happened.

"It is the future needs of our customers that are our concern at the moment."

Ms White added: "We understand the challenges and the very difficult decisions the council has had to make."

BHCA chief executive Martin Hancock told the Daily Echo earlier this year that the facility actually saved more money than it cost to run. He estimated that the service saved the NHS £135,000 a year through ambulance call-outs and hospital visits, and an additional £25,000 per annum of trips to A&E.

The service aims to help alcohol-dependent homeless people eventually live independently. They often suffer from severe health issues as well as mental health problems.

Residents told the Echo in March they were desperately concerned that losing the service would result in more deaths among those using the service, such was the level of support they received.

Lorraine Mealings, head of housing, said: “The council has reduced the supported housing contracts we have in place due to financial pressures. In January, six month’s notice was given to BCHA to end the contract for the specialist scheme known as Hannah House for those with alcohol dependency.

"Since January, the council has been working proactively with BCHA to put appropriate move-on arrangements in place for the 13 residents and I am pleased that this will have been achieved as planned by the end of June.

"For many of the residents this has proved very positive in revisiting their aims and aspirations, with some accessing residential detox or moving in to their own home with a care package in place. We are retaining approximately 150 bed spaces in supported housing schemes elsewhere, for single homeless people with a range of different issues."