An apartment block being used by the Housing Executive to provide temporary accommodation for homeless people is facing a planning enforcement case, it has emerged.
Belfast City Hall confirmed on Monday that they are taking the case over the use of the Dream Pods building at Bank Square. The news comes in the wake of concerns being raised by a Belfast restaurant owner over anti-social behaviour in the area.
However, the legal action also comes against a backdrop of issues being highlighted about the care of people with complex needs amid a number of drug-related deaths in the city in recent weeks.
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Mourne Seafood owner Bob McCoubrey says he is considering re-locating his premises thanks to a range of incidents he says he has witnessed in the area.
He told Belfast Live that the Dream Pods building was opened up to “attract tourists” to the city but has “been allowed to be used as a hostel”. It is understood the Housing Executive has been using the premises thanks to rising demand for temporary accommodation due, in part, to a reduction in the room at hostels thanks to Covid social distancing measures.
Mr McCoubrey added that the use of Dream Pods by the Housing Executive was “supposed to be temporary” after the Covid pandemic struck but has been ongoing for over two years.
He added: “There are young men, some of whom have chaotic lifestyles, and there’s no where for them to go, no outside space so they congregate at the door. I’ve had to break-up two fights in recent weeks. We have a place that was supposed to be a boutique style hotel bringing tourists to the city and instead it’s a hostel.
"It’s hardly ideal for people with complex needs to be housed close to licenced premises. More needs to be done to address what’s going on here, but we’ve been abandoned.”
The restaurateur said the situation has become so bad he is considering moving his business.
In a statement, Belfast Council said: “A planning enforcement case has been opened in relation to accommodation at 38-42 Bank Street. Council has also engaged directly with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive after receiving a complaint from a business owner about alleged drug use and anti-social behaviour at this site.
“Staff from our Safer Neighbourhood and Outreach teams were tasked to the area to offer support, and we continue to work closely with our partners in statutory, community and voluntary organisations to support them in tackling these complex issues and ending long-term homelessness in the city.
“A number of initiatives have also been undertaken by Council to support businesses and revitalise the wider Bank Square area, including the opening of a meanwhile use events space at 2 Royal Avenue, £75,000 of support to business clusters to improve outdoor spaces, and work with city partners to enhance public realm and increase pedestrian and cycle access.”
Bank Square is owned by the Department for Communities. In a statement a spokesperson said: “The Minister is committed to addressing homelessness and will ensure housing services identify those at risk, provide support, and make any stay in temporary accommodation as short as possible.
“The Department is committed to working with health colleagues to providing all support possible at this time, but that is no substitute for a fully functioning Executive and agreed budget .
“The Housing Executive has statutory responsibility for responding to homelessness including the provision of homelessness accommodation.
“Responsibility for addressing anti-social behaviour in the area rests with the local council, the Housing Executive, the private landlord and police.”
The Housing Executive said that last year, they “assessed more than 15,000 applications from individuals who presented as homeless and we made more than 9,000 placements in temporary accommodation”.
A spokesperson added: “Our teams of experienced housing professionals are acutely aware of the scale of homelessness in Northern Ireland and the increasing demand for temporary accommodation.
“There is a level of complexity involved in ensuring the right housing and support solutions and we work with our voluntary and community partners to provide these services in extremely challenging circumstances.”
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