A film tour of Wrexham Town Centre – Substance misuse and homeless
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Posts
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Phil Wynn – why do you keep talking about “HMO” residents? I assume this means “houses of multiple occupancy”? Firstly, not all HMO residents are a problem or drug / alcohol abusers – for example, what about students or young professionals sharing a house as they can’t afford to buy or rent on their own? Secondly, if they are HMO residents then surely they are not, by definition, homeless as they live in an HMO???
Nen…..I believe I have referred to HMO’s twice, once in relation to a number of residents who are abandoned by the system and those who associate with the homeless in our town-centre.
I don’t think I have stated HMO occupants are homeless, that’s your interpretation.
I believe what I have wrote is a mere simple statement of fact. Why because back in July this year there were 321 HMO’s registered in the County with the majority circling the town-centre.
These properties have a capacity to hold a minimum of 963 individuals. These individuals are clearly on low-income or on housing benefits but are predominantly single males.
The town-centre based Elms drugs and alcohol rehab centre provides support for many hundreds of individuals who due to their substance dependency find themselves living in HMO’s.
As a County Councillor of a town-centre ward I am regularly made aware by residents, who just want to get on with their lives, of the Anti-social behaviour which originates from said HMO’s. Hence I feel qualified to speak on the matter.
That said I accept many HMO’s occupants are law-obidding and cause no concern for the communities they live in. In actual fact in the distant past I to have been a HMO occupant.
I hope my response clarifies that I am not out to pursecute HMO occupants but demonstrates my willingness to enter into an open dialogue on a public forum in an open and frank way.
Phil
Phil – whilst I have some sympathy for some of your points I would like to know how often the Council.Police have actullay used their existing owners to deal with Anti Social Bahaviour at this so called problem properties. If there is persistent offences taking place then approprite action can be taken– does this actually occur? If so how many of the 321 HMOs have been visited and of those how many have had multiple vists and how many actually had any action taken against them.
The Landords now need to register — how many proerties are you aware of in your Ward that have multiple occupancy but the landord for various reasons has not registered?
I will be amazed if there have been many visits or enforcement action as this seems to be another example of the Council being lame in it’s response to social issues.It’s good to be able to read the discussion about the rise in numbers of addicts in the town centre. The last 5 yrs or so has seen a large rise in numbers of rough sleepers + addicts.
Clearly, the system isn’t working. And it’s costing a fortune.
These people used to be taken out of their environment as a stimulus to change. When dry, they wouldn’t be discharged back to it but to a different place again. Is it time to demand a rethink on their treatment + management? Do the health board need the funding instead of all these other agencies? They don’t seem to be providing activities nor incentives to change.
And let’s not forget the source of the drugs – a lot of it from the ISIS/Taliban. Money going into their pockets. Have the cuts to police/customs officers impacted on the amount of drugs seized?
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