Supported Housing For Vulnerable People? “Not In My Back Yard!”

In a shocking display of ‘nimbyism’ boards saying ‘no homeless farm’ and ‘no heroin hostel’ have been placed outside a Cheltenham property set to house vulnerable people.

Pivotal Housing Association and homeless charity P3 plan to use the property to provide supported housing, in a bid to help long-term rough sleepers. But St Paul’s Residents’ Association (SPRA) chairman Daud McDonald has started a petition against the project, which has been signed by 117 people. Mr McDonald, a 51-year-old handyman, thinks the scheme will lead to more crime problems and devalue house prices in the neighbourhood.

Placards left outside the two-floor terraced house bear the words ‘choose life’ and ‘poverty 4 profit’ in big red letters. Mr McDonald, of St Paul’s Road, said: “I have no idea who might be behind the signs but they are effective in shining a light on the issues.”

Cheltenham Borough Council’s cabinet member for homelessness, Councillor Peter Jeffries, described the signs as “sad”, adding: “Homeless people need support, not demonisation.” The plans are part of P3’s ACTion Glos project, which secured £990,000 in Government funding last October to help support 110 long-term homeless people in Gloucestershire. Pivotal’s development manager Colin Murphy said the property will primarily support people “who have been through a service and shown they can maintain a tenancy.”

He added: “It could be homelessness, drug or alcohol problems they have had in the past. It will be for people who have had a period of stability, and need that final step of integration into society.” Pivotal was unable to confirm how many people will be housed in the property, but refurbishment and the installation of security cameras has started ahead of the service’s expected launch in early autumn.

Mr McDonald, who lives opposite the site, thinks crime could rise if people who have battled drug problems move into the house. “We have spent 10 years trying to pick up St Paul’s from being rundown,” he said. “This heroin hostel feels like a kick in the teeth. A lot of drug dealing goes on in the area and this is just going to worsen it. We have the number one restaurant in Cheltenham, the Coconut Tree, and now we are going to be known as hostel central. We are all going to lose value from our houses. People, including myself, are considering selling up and moving.”

Mr McDonald accused Pivotal of “farming” homeless people for profit, pointing out it is a private company. But a Pivotal spokesman said the housing association is a registered not-for-profit provider of supported accommodation for vulnerable people.

But not everyone is against the idea. Tipu Miah, a 23-year-old waiter of Albert Road, is in favour of the project. The University of Gloucestershire biology graduate said: “I think it’s a good idea. It’s nice to give everyone a second chance. I have seen a lot of people with addiction who have found it very hard to get back into the normal world. We need to give them the opportunity to get their lives on track and have a job and leave the addiction behind.”

Mr Miah said he has often witnessed drug dealing in St Paul’s over the last three years, but he sees this as a sign that schemes like ACTion Glos are needed. “My attitude isn’t ‘they are drug addicts and we should leave them to it and let them waste away,’” he continued. “As a human you should help people.”