A night shelter which has just emerged from a £460,000 revamp is already having to turn homeless people away this winter.
The Julian House charity is looking for extra public support this Christmas as it battles to keep up with demand for its services.
Its Christmas Appeal, which aims to raise £100,000, has so far made just over £21,000.
This is slightly down on the same period last year, but the charity is hoping that the city's Christmas spirit will help it to reach the January target.
Its shelter in Manvers Street has recently reopened after a facelift which has created individual pod-style bedrooms, allowing it to accommodate more women.
But the 20-bed unit and a nine-bed annexe are already at capacity, and with a prolonged period of icy weather forecast this will make life difficult for those having to survive on the streets.
Fundraising manager Cecil Weir is concerned that bad weather will stretch the organisation's resources over an already busy period.
He said: "The night shelter reopened on November 28 and since then we have been full almost every night.
"It has been impressive to see how quickly the staff have been able to get everything up and running in, what is, a brand new environment.
"However, it is deeply frustrating for all of us that we're still having to turn people away – such is the level of homelessness at the moment in Bath.
"Just to make things even more difficult we now have an icy spell forecast, tough enough if you are trying to keep your home heated and drive safely to work, but even more challenging for those you find themselves sleeping outside."
He said the onset of worse weather would see the refectory area converted into a makeshift dormitory, with mattresses on the floor.
"We didn't expect to be doing this so soon but we are literally talking about helping to save lives."
Mr Weir has been organising the campaign for 12 years.
He said: "Although homelessness is very much a 365 day-a-year problem, the public's awareness is at its height around Christmas; that's why we focus our fundraising efforts now.
"The money that we raise over these weeks funds our work throughout the year.
"In many ways it's just as tough being homeless in July as it is in December.
"We would urge the public to consider supporting our work.
"Our goal is to ensure that no one needs to sleep rough and try and reconnect these desperate men and women back into their local community, with more support more could be achieved."
To donate, use the form on this page or go to www.julianhouse. org.uk.
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