'We do not want undesirables' say Black Country neighbours opposed to new homeless project
A project to get rough sleepers off the streets of the Black Country is set to start this spring despite neighbours saying they don't want to live near ex-offenders and recovering drug addicts.
The decision to convert a former council house on Victoria Street, Brierley Hill, into a five-bedroom hostel has sparked opposition from neighbours who believe crime will increase.
Some local people also fear the house of multiple occupation (HMO) will endanger local children.
Opposing a planning application for the hostel, residents demanded to know: “What guarantees can you give us that this HMO in the future will not be used to house ex‐convicts, paedophiles and drug addicts?
“Neighbours are extremely concerned for the safety of their homes and their children. Our street is made up of elderly and vulnerable people and young families.”
One simply wrote: “We do not want undesirables living near me.”
Speaking at a meeting of the authority’s development committee, resident David Moore said almost every household on the street had objected saying safety of local children was high on their list of fears.
He said: “There are 10 within a 15-metre radius and parental concerns are understandable especially when children’s safeguarding is such a high priority these days.
He added: “Some of the parents are perhaps right to be concerned with the possibility when some of [the home’s] residents are needy, vulnerable people with mental health problems.”
Councillors reluctantly approved the extension after planning officers said their decision could only be on the plans and not the building’s use.
Committee chairman Councillor Paul Bradley said: “If we were on the HMO we would be looking at this very differently but we can’t stop the HMO as a planning committee.”
Announcing the start of the £450,000 project this week, Councillor Laura Taylor, cabinet member for housing and community services, said the council will now work closely with residents.
She added: “Our homelessness prevention team works really hard to keep people off the streets and find somewhere for them to stay long-term.
“We still have very low numbers of rough sleepers in our borough but often people tell us we should be doing more and that’s why I’m really pleased we’ve secured funding for this project.
“We already have an emergency shelter in the borough but it’s on a much larger scale and our experience tells us that this doesn’t always suit everyone.
“In developing a smaller scheme, we hope to therefore fill a gap in our service provision and help those people who are hard to reach.”
Housing bosses say the home will have CCTV and on-site support staff during the day as well as at night.
One of the five bedrooms will be adapted to provide temporary accommodation for people with physical disabilities leaving hospital and who can no longer return to their own home.
