An empty Grade II-listed building is set to house homeless people in one-bedroom accommodation.

Plans have been approved for homeless charity Gravesham Sanctuary to convert a terraced property near Gravesend town centre into a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO).

Earlier this month councillors backed converting the disused building in Windmill Street into supported 24/7 housing for the homeless.

It will be run by the Sanctuary, a Christian charity working to support rough sleepers in and around the town, and will provide individual rooms for occupants, communal facilities, and staffing areas.

The aim is to provide a safe refuge for the homeless in conjunction with Gravesham council's existing 10-bed HMO facility in Wrotham Road.

In an update, general manager Sam Griffiths said: "We are so excited to be able to tell you that we have now received approval for planning permission to convert our new property into a fully supported six-bedroom HMO, which, with your help, we are looking to have open to our guests 24/7, all year round.

"Our plan for the winter season coming is to provide hotel accommodation for our guests from mid-November while our new property is finished, and to provide evening meals at Longferry for our guests as we did this previous winter."

The Sanctuary hopes to get the new property up and running for guests from February subject to building works progress.

However, the project is reliant on grant funding the charity is still waiting on.

The not-for-profit organisation warns that if this funding bid is not successful, it will have to run an alternate scaled-down plan to still provide support to guests, but as a four-bedroom night shelter instead.

"We will keep you up to date with the status of this bid as we find out more," added Mr Griffiths whose dad, senior pastor Tom Griffiths started the project.

"To achieve this goal, we’re going to need your help. We’re going to need volunteers to support our staff during the day times at our new venue, interacting with guests and supporting them throughout their journey.

"We’re going to need overnight volunteers, to continue to help our guests feel safe, and have someone to turn to at all times."

The charity is also looking for volunteers to support its guests at its daytime base at Longferry Court, which has seen "a very large increase".

It offers laundry facilities, showers, phone and internet services and activities such as therapeutic art, as well as a wide range of support services.

Last month it saw 114 guest visits to its daytime centre.

Of those, seven were people battling homelessness for the first time, and who have been able to find refuge, help, and friendly welcome thanks to the Sanctuary.

In August, Homeless charity Porchlight warned thousands of families are fighting to keep a roof over their heads as the cost of living crisis bites and landlords rush to cash in on privately-rented homes.

In the first three months of 2022, there were 2,423 households in Kent homeless or at risk of homelessness – a 7% increase on the previous quarter, according to the latest data released by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.