PLANS need to be put in place to deal with the closure of a homeless hostel and associated antisocial behaviour problems, a police boss has warned.
Holden House, on Race Street, is a 42-bed hostel which provides a supported housing service for those who find themselves homeless.
The hostel has been in operation since the 1990s and the building is owned by Barnsley Council.
It has long been the subject of complaints from local residents amid concerns about the people living there and those congregating around the building.
Last week, the Chronicle revealed how Holden House will close at the end of this year after the council and West Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company, which runs the supported housing service, mutually agreed to terminate the contract.
But temporary Ch Insp Chris Foster said the closure would not mean problems such as drug dealing and other antisocial behaviour would go away.
He said people would be dispersed into smaller communities around Barnsley rather than being in one place, and there would still be opportunities to access housing.
But regarding criminality, he said: “What we have got to be careful of is not addressing the problem and moving the problem elsewhere. In terms of the problems there have been at Holden House, the town team has tried to address them and it’s an ongoing issue.
“It’s not the solution to shut it down. We need to make sure the people who are in there who are vulnerable, we need to protect them but deal with anything that is associated.
“If it’s closed down, that problem is not going to go away. We need to make sure we have plans in place to address issues, rather than saying ‘it’s shutting, and it’s going to sort everything.’
“We need to work with the council and have regular meetings in terms of vulnerable people and issues such as where these people are going to go.
“We need to have a structured plan and discussions around how we can address any issues which might come out of any such closure.”
Last year, it was revealed a grant of £400,000 to keep homeless and vulnerable people off the streets had been secured by Barnsley Council and South Yorkshire local authorities to pay for a specialist mental health support worker.
Adie Flute, 45, runs the successful Rucksack Project who offers warm clothes and other necessities to homeless people in winter. It doesn’t deal with housing, but is there to support places like Holden House.
Adie said: “I know there has been a few reported issues such as drug dealing. But those people have got to go somewhere.
“It is a challenge and it may be too early to comment, as we don’t yet know what the council is going to do.
“It’s quite a lot of money (the £400,000 grant), and what are they doing with it? That’s the question.
“If (people) were moved out of Barnsley, it could make it much harder for them to access other facilities to help them get back in to a normal life.
“That doesn’t solve the problem, it just pushes that problem on to somewhere else.
“As far as I know, there is nothing similar to Holden House in Barnsley. I’ve always said ‘Holden House’ if I’ve needed to point anyone somewhere.”
