Minutes:
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 24th February, it had considered a report which outlined the issues which had arisen for the Council as a result of the placing, without permission, of a ‘homeless pod’ at the Jubilee Gardens. At that meeting, the Committee had expressed its concern and had suggested that the issues raised should be addressed on a multi-agency basis. Concern was expressed also that the organisation which had placed the pod at the site, that is, Common Law NI, had failed to engage meaningfully with the Council to resolve the matter. Accordingly, the Committee had agreed that an invitation to attend the meeting be extended to Common Law NI, and that an invitation be extended also to a range of statutory bodies – particularly the Northern Ireland Housing Executive – to discuss the matter with a view to finding a longer-term resolution.
The Chairman welcomed to the meeting two representatives of Common Law NI, both of whom had requested that they remain anonymous, together with Mr. D. Marley, Homelessness Services Unit Manager with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Ms. R. Rowledge, Director of the Council for the Homeless (NI), a charity which represented homelessness agencies throughout Northern Ireland.
A representative of Common Law NI advised the Committee that the pod had been placed within the Jubilee Gardens to raise awareness of homeless issues in Belfast. He reported that the pod had been situated in the space to coincide with the coldest period of the year and that it had been removed from the site in late-February. He added that the “temporary experiment” was considered to have been concluded. He outlined the arrangements which had been put in place to ensure that the pod was cleaned on a regular basis and emphasised that it had been placed at the site to offer an alternative for homeless individuals to use should no other outlet be available.
The representatives of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Council for the Homeless outlined the range of services which were available for the homeless across Belfast. It was emphasised that, whilst acknowledging the good intentions of those who had placed the pod on the site, both the Housing Executive and the Council for the Homeless had been opposed totally to its use as an alternative to existing services. Mr. Marley pointed out that the Housing Executive had sought to raise awareness of the wide range of services which existed for so-called ‘rough sleepers’, and stated that the homeless pod had created a perception that there were little or no services available.
In addition, concern was expressed by Ms. Rowledge that the pod had created a situation whereby homeless individuals would become more vulnerable to attack. She suggested that the homeless pod was, in essence, somewhat degrading to individuals, since it encouraged isolation and created serious issues regarding health, hygiene and safety.
Members pointed out that the charity had placed the Council in an invidious situation by placing the pod on its land without consultation. Concern was expressed that, should a serious incident have occurred at the site, the Council could have been held responsible and, as such, it was regrettable that the charity had acted without consulting the Council.
In response to a specific question regarding the Common Law NI’s future intentions for the homeless pod, it was confirmed that it was likely that the pod would be located again within Belfast. The deputations then left the meeting.
The Committee welcomed the fact that the Common Law NI had attended the meeting and entered into dialogue with the Council, and it was requested that officers continue to engage with the charity. However, in respect of the suggestion by the charity that the pod might be re-located as part of a further experiment, the Committee agreed, should the pod be placed on Council property, that it would be removed due to the health, hygiene and safety reasons stated previously.
Noted.