Fears over homeless shelter
I feel I have to make comment regarding the decision to build the YMCA building in Street's High Street.
As residents of the high street, we already experience high levels of anti-social behaviour which escalates greatly at the weekends, and it is rare to have a night's sleep without disturbance.
I have fears as do most neighbouring residents that the building of a shelter for homeless young people in this location will increase anti-social behaviour, and cause more crime, which is already increasing in Street, as stated in last week's Gazette.
Questions I feel need to be answered are: will there be drug users resident there, will there be sex offenders, and those with records for violence, anti-social behaviour etc; all things residents of Street should be asking, and be told.
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I understand we have a duty to look after those in need of shelter, but feel this is totally the wrong location for this and those who have granted it permission have got it so badly wrong.
In last week's Gazette was a letter from one of the YMCA supporters, our elected Councillor Beha, saying that having been given permission it shows the "people of Street care". Well, Councillor Beha, we voted for you to represent us, which you have not done.
As residents who will be forced to live close to this shelter I ask you: "Who cares about us?"
Lisa Brenton
High Street
Street
Comments
by The Data Doctor
Thursday, March 21 2013, 6:35PM
“as someone with a good deal of personal experience of homelessness and the problems related to it, i can assure you that any behavioural issues presented by homeless people are far worse when they have nowhere to live and no contact with the kind support services homeless shelters also provide. drinking and drug use amongst homeless people is quite often a response to the extreme stress of being homeless as it is a cause
in short: you, and others, are at greater risk when there is a lack of provision from homeless people: after all, why should someone who has fallen through the social safety net care about the rest of society when they've got no support and nothing to lose?
on the other hand, when a homeless person gains some stability in his or her life by having a place to live, and qualified support, that is usually the first step towards solving the problem which led them to become homeless in the first place. likewise, if someone misbehaves, the fact that the person has an address is a great advantage should the police need to be involved
for your information, there has been a 'halfway house' in Glastonbury for a few years now, close to Morrisons. similar concerns were raised - most often by people who have no direct experience of what it means to be homeless - before it opened: but the fact is that there have been no problems of the sort you mention since it has been running
and as for caring, Ms Brenton: do you care about anyone but yourself? i know from personal experience that nobody is more than a couple of poor decisions away from homelessness - perhaps when it strikes someone near to you, you will look upon the situation with more informed and compassionate eyes”