THE Labour council is about to set up to fail many homeless families and individuals by establishing an under resourced homeless facility in a burnt out block of flats in O'Hare Bonhill. Sadly official figures show that around 50 per cent of all homeless applicants in West Dunbartonshire have either an addictive illness, due to drugs or alcohol, and or mental health issues.
What a fair percentage of these damaged individuals need is specialist on site 24 hour support to begin to help them to challenge their sometimes chaotic behaviour which is mainly as a result of their addictive illness/mental health issues.
If the proper NHS, housing and counselling services had been established on site, then as one of the local councillors the project would have received my support.
Sadly it looks like a basic homeless hostel is being planned which will not help a fair number of clients going through the system.
What is being created is a "revolving door" for the homeless.
Due to the underlying reasons for their chaotic lifestyles not being addressed while in the Unit a fair number will eventually be evicted and re-present as homeless.
It is great to see the majority of homeless applicants getting re-housed, through the hard work and efforts of our homeless persons services, which allows them to get on with their lives.
With this under funded ill thought out hostel model being proposed many will be left as just another statistic and the cycle of chaotic behaviour will continue, unbroken.
Councillor Jim Bollan Leven Ward
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel