Night Shelter GEAR closes in Gloucester

“I feel so sorry for these homeless people. Instead of tewkesbury council building a 6 bedroom house for the scrounger with 11 kids, why don't they put that money to good use and build a day/night shelter for these people instead who need it.”

“@geraint2010
You don't know me or my thoughts, yes the homeless need help and support but not just a night shelter and a wet center.
They need to be moved into supported accommodation where they are not thrown out onto the streets in the mornings. They need social support to get off the drugs / drink if they are on them, built up their self esteem and moved into permanent accommodation. They can then move back into education or employment and play a useful part in society.
The charities that are taking over this provision appear by their mission statements to be doing exactly this and not just acting as a social sticking plaster.”

“So what would your remedy be GlosAnarchy? Move them to somewhere "out of site – out of mind" as is happening, and well away from "My Back Yard", or would you prefer more of a "Final Solution" approach! Too right you're not a Tory – you're coming across as even too right wing for UKIP!”

“Gloscityguy

You live in Llanthony Road do you?
I don't live outside the night shelter I live a short distance away, all the signage in the windows did was move the problem away from the shelter into the surrounding area where I live!
Yes there are problems with people getting dunk in the clubs at night but it's no where near as bad as the homeless street drinkers!”

“The place and its people was and is a blight on the city. Being homeless is very often brought on by themselves. I am sick of gloucester being asked for money all the time, there are two in particular who do it, well three, the one with a whiny "mmaaaaaayyyyte, have you got any change", - yes, I have change, what business is it of his!!, the second who pretends he has lost his bus fare, the third who approaches anyone having a quiet five minutes saying "I'm really hungry, can you buy me something to eat" .

It is horrible, this is one of the reasons people prefer out of town shopping centres, private complexes, tescos, online shopping. It is certainy one of the reasons I avoid gloucester, I just don't want to be asked for money and hassled. I work hard and I earn my money. Why do I want to give it to an alchie or a junkie? Getting rid of this is a step in the right direction. I support its closure.

Being homeless can happen to any of us yes, but it happens more to those who shirk their responsbilities and pee their money up the wall or shove ut up their nose instead of paying their rent.”

“I've worked in that area for a few years now and there used to be a major problem with users of the night shelter being abusive to passers by during the day. Some time ago notices appeared in the windows of the night shelter warning that anybody loitering around the building would be banned for the next night. That seemed to solve the problem virtually overnight.
I have encountered Bill Jones on numerous occasions and never had any problems with or from him. He has always been polite and I hope things work out OK for him.”

“@GlosAnarchy

Never, but then I only live on that exact street, and have been for the past ten years.

However I could say the exact same things about some of the people on a night out in Gloucester, who drop cans and fast food litter all over the streets, who scream and shout, and who relieve themselves wherever they feel like.
But that doesn't mean every person in town at night does that.
Just like it doesn't mean everyone who's homeless is the type of person your describing.”

“gloscityguy

When was the last time you saw them defecating in you street in the middle of the day?
When was the last time you could hear them shouting and swearing all day long?
When was the last time you where asked for money by them and sworn at for not giving in?
When was the last time you saw them discarding their drink cans and other rubbish in your street?
When was the last time you saw one of them urinating in your neighbor's doorway?

I can say in the last 14 days what can you say?”

“I suspect the closure of the night shelter has more to do with removing the homeless from the corridor linking the city centre with the quays than ensuring a better level of service with a new provider. How long before the Vaughan Centre is encouraged to move to the margins of the city thereby leaving a homeless free zone for the Townscape Heritage Initiative funded revamped lower Southgate Street.”

“I think it is pretty disgusting that the council decided to stop the funding for this place.

No doubt the area it was in played a big part, The developers greased some palms I imagine, and the unsightly poor get moved on.

Just they got moved on to the doorways and abandoned buildings of the city, with even less chance of turning their lives around.”