Belfast Homeless Centre Secures New Location

A homeless drop-in centre in Belfast has secured a new operational site. The facility is set to operate from Centenary House, situated off Waring Street within the city centre. The Welcome Organisation, a homelessness charity, relocated the centre from its previous site earlier this year due to objections from the local community. Jude Whyte, representing The Welcome Organisation, stated that the Salvation Army supplied the new location for the centre. The centre’s relocation from its Townsend Street premises earlier this year followed residents’ concerns regarding anti-social behaviour in the vicinity, attributed to the centre’s users. In July, the building sustained significant damage when a vehicle, believed to be stolen, was driven into its shutters and subsequently set on fire. Following this incident, threatening graffiti targeting workmen scheduled to perform repairs emerged. Mr. Whyte, at that time, characterized the attacks as “pretty dark day for those of us who work in this area of homelessness and addiction”. Speaking on The Nolan Show, Mr. Whyte emphasized the substantial demand for the centre in Belfast, stating, “I haven’t slept in about three years. You dream about homelessness and addiction”. He further asserted, “The biggest single issue facing this society is not Brexit. It’s not the constitutional question. The biggest single crisis facing this society is housing.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.