Kingsway House Homeless Shelter Under Fire From Locals
Liverpool City Council is to look into concerns raised about Signature Living’s Kingsway House homeless shelter after complaints from local businesses and residents.
According to a report in the Liverpool Echo some of those living and working around the Hatton Garden centre – which was opened by the hotel firm in December – say they have regularly been targeted with abuse and aggression by residents and claim street drinking and drug taking has become a major problem in the vicinity.
Commenting on twitter, a representative from The Excelsior pub in nearby Dale Street said: “Something needs to be done about Kingsway House. All week staff & myself have been subjected to verbal abuse & threats of physical violence for not allowing them use of pub toilets. The few that have used the toilets are using them for drug use.” The same twitter account claimed that ‘open drug taking and drinking’ in the area has made it a ‘no go area for customers, tourists and residents.’
Grace Boyd, who lives nearby, was in full agreement with the pub’s management. She tweeted: “Couldn’t agree more, I live 5 mins away, the area is now full of aggressive, threatening drunk drug takers who are willing to follow people home if they aren’t given money. Has to stop.”
Another local business owner got in touch with the ECHO to complain about what has been taking place in the area since the shelter opened. The owner – who did not want to be named – said: “We have had stuff stolen and pubs in the area have had to kick people out of their toilets as they have been doing drugs.” He also claimed there have been “mountains of rubbish” left at the back of the centre. He added: “I’m all for helping the homeless but Signature Living need to step up and take responsibility.”
Liverpool Council says it welcomes anyone who wants to help support the city’s vulnerable people – but says it will look into the complaints. It also urged people to direct rough sleepers to its professionally staffed shelter at Labre House in Camden Street. City Centre councillor Nick Small said he welcomed efforts to support rough sleepers – but confirmed he would be looking into complaints made about Kingsway House.
He said: “I was out with one of our street teams last week and there were people on the street telling me about some negative experiences related to Kingsway House. I have been contacted by a local business as well and I will be taking up these complaints with officers. We welcome the work that Signature Living are doing around homelessness and we are not knocking it but the council has opened Labre House which has professional services and I would urge people to go there and get the help they need. We welcome people getting involved but we are talking about some very vulnerable people with complex needs who require professional services.”
But Signature bosses have hit back and said that such issues were far more prevalent before the Kingsway House shelter opened – and said the city council was slow to react to them before. Owner Lawrence Kenwright said he believes his centre is “filling the void” left by the council by opening the centre.
He also said he had received no complaints from local businesses and the shelter had only been met with support.
He said: “Beneath Kingsway House has always been used as a place for dug abusers to congregate and yet the Council did nothing to eradicate the situation and in fact it is due to this very reason that we opened the centre. Let me be very candid, we are actually filling the void that has been left by our Council. If they would use the £12m pounds (spent on homelessness issues) more effectively we would as a city not be in this position.”
He also pointed out that a group of homeless guests at Kingsway House are carrying out weekly clean-ups of the city centre, adding: “We have also reacted to requests from local businesses to clean their streets by organising a team to clean pavements outside of Tesco’s Victoria street and Castle street weekly. Local businesses have offered our homeless guests jobs and accommodation.”
