"CATASTROPHIC" cuts to homeless support services in Oxford could undo 30 years of work, the departing boss of the city's main hostel has warned.

Lesley Dewhurst said funding cuts from by Oxfordshire County Council and proposed changes to housing benefit tabled by the Government could mean "curtains" for supported housing and the city's homeless hostels.

Her comments come as she prepares to step down as chief executive of Oxford Homeless Pathways at the end of this month, after 13 years in the job and almost 30 in the sector.

Ms Dewhurst, who worked as a frontline member of Elmore Community Support Team from 1988, said: "It is the most challenging time I can remember."

The 56-year-old, who will be succeeded by Claire Dowan, is set to be awarded the Freedom of the City – Oxford's highest honour – for her "massive contribution" to helping the homeless.

In her time as chief executive, she oversaw the construction of the purpose-built 56-bed O'Hanlon House hostel and has expanded the organisation's supported accommodation from 80 homes to 155.

But in an interview with the Oxford Mail, Mrs Dewhurst raised concerns services that have been built up to break the cycle of homelessness could now be stripped back "to the bone".

Homeless support groups are set to lose £1.5m of funding from the county council, with the Government also proposing to extend a cap on housing benefit payments to people living in supported accommodation, which are expected to be "significantly lower" than the costs of running supported housing in Oxford.

Mrs Dewhurst added: "When I started with Elmore, O'Hanlon House hadn't been built yet and the night shelter was only open at night, so the things you had to focus on were food, warmth and shelter.

"The services we have now are not cheap to run, but they get people off the streets and that is better for everyone.

"If the county cuts come through without anything else to help, that would be catastrophic and would cut homelessness support in Oxford down to the bone.

"If the Government's reforms come through as well, then it is curtains for supported accommodation."

Her warning comes as organisations in the city scramble to find funding to prop-up homeless support services and keep at least one of its hostels open.

At present O’Hanlon House provides shelter for 67 people, many suffering from drug and alcohol addictions as well as mental illness, and Simon House provides shelter for about 60.

The county council has said it could use some of a £4m pot of "temporary" funds given to it by the Government to help ease the cuts over the next four years, but Oxford City Council – which holds the statutory responsibility for housing – is now seeking longer-term alternatives.

Stephen Clarke, head of housing, said a solution needed to be found in time for April next year, when the first £500,000 of the county council's cuts are made.

But at a meeting last month he added: "We will still have to look at priorities, in terms of what we currently fund versus keeping one or two of the hostels open.

"That could mean some services we currently pay for will have to stop."

A county council spokesman said: "The county council is in the process of saving £361m from 2010 to 2020. In common with councils across the country our focus has to be on providing services that we are legally obliged to provide – to those who need help/care with eating, with personal hygiene and toilet needs, bathing and maintaining family relationships and the home and those who have support needs as a result of a physical or mental condition."

The decision to award the Freedom of the City to Mrs Dewhurst will be jointly proposed by city council party leaders tonight, at a meeting in Oxford Town Hall.

City council executive board member for housing Mike Rowley said: "Lesley has made a massive contribution to the city of Oxford and helped many thousands of people who have been homeless.

"She will be much-missed."