Salvation Army hostel residents say they are being made ill | UK News

Homeless people at a hostel in Belfast have said living conditions at the facility, including a bed bug infestation, are making them ill.

Several residents of Centenary House spoke to News NI about alleged issues in the building, which is run by the Salvation Army.

John (not his real name) said the bed bugs problem began in June and criticised the way hostel staff dealt with it.

In response the Salvation Army told News NI: “As soon as bed bugs were reported at Centenary House, we took immediate action to fumigate”.

When residents first reported bed bugs, the Salvation Army said it had followed all processes to control the situation.

First speaking to News NI in July, John said: “I was getting bites over my arms and my legs, all over my torso.

“I couldn’t understand where it was coming from. I woke up one morning and there was one on my shoulder.”

He said residents in nearby rooms had experienced similar infestations and some rooms had to be closed.

At that time the Salvation Army said pest control was brought in to fumigate the rooms affected.

New mattresses, clothing and underwear were also provided.

New admissions were also halted.

However the Salvation Army has confirmed it is still dealing with the outbreak.

John said the situation was now “only getting worse” and that bed bugs were “coming out from between the built-in wardrobe and walls”.

The Salvation Army said residents’ wellbeing was its main priority.

In a statement to the it said: “We know the measures to properly eradicate the pests have been disruptive and we have been regularly updating them [residents] at every stage.

“We hope they are reassured by these latest measures which include additional fumigation work and the removal of built-in furniture in affected rooms.”

Another resident, who we are calling Stephen, claimed the situation had affected his mental health.

The Salvation Army said it was confident all relevant protocols were followed when dealing with the issue, “ensuring, at all times, the safety, wellbeing and dignity of both service users and staff”.

Both men expressed frustration over how complaints were handled, saying they were often ignored.

The Salvation Army said: “We take complaints seriously and they are logged, monitored and responded to appropriately. This process is monitored by internal and external audits.”

It said complaints forms were available and it held regular service-user meetings.

The Salvation Army said all referrals to Centenary House came through the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE).

The NIHE told News NI it provided placements to Centenary House as part of the “discharge of our statutory homelessness duties” and made placements to this facility as per availability, which is outlined by the provider.

Centenary House receives £505,648 a year in funding from the NIHE, through the Supporting People Programme, while an extra £422,462 is provided to facilitate the night shelter facility, according to the NIHE.

The Salvation Army said it also charged a service charge of £33.46 a week which “covers the accommodation and all services provided including our gym”.

John said he received about £300 a month in income through Universal Credit and the service charge was a demand many residents could not meet.

“It’s money people can’t afford to pay,” said John.

He said this was a cause of anxiety for residents: “You know, if you don’t pay this money within such and such time, then their bed’s gone.”

John said he had lost personal possessions because of the bed bug infestation.

“I’ve lost clothes over it, and I’ve lost belongings over it. They will not get replaced,” he said.

He claimed the hostel’s response had been minimal.

He said at one point he had to share a room with another resident for nearly two weeks due to a lack of space.

“Every day I’m wondering, is my bed available? Is my bed not available? You know, I just go from one day to the next,” John said.

The Salvation Army said this was due to the fumigation process of their rooms.

Stephen said while staying in what is referred to as a “crash bed” — an emergency bed without a long-term place in the hostel — he felt unsafe.

“We shouldn’t be living like that, and no place should be like that. They’ve got bugs like everywhere,” he said.

“You feel like there is no hope. That’s the way I felt too.”

Paul McCusker, an independent member of Belfast City Council, said homelessness providers were under “immense pressure”.

McCusker, who also runs The People’s Kitchen charity, said: “We’re in a massive crisis at the minute, every single day, people presenting in Belfast could be sent to Derry, could be sent to Portrush, could be sent right across Northern Ireland.

“But, I think there needs to be more work from the housing executive to ensure that people are provided with a suitable safe accommodation.

“Dignity is a big thing for anybody who’s homeless, they deserve access to really good accommodation that they can feel safe.”

The NIHE said it was aware of the bed bugs issue, adding: “On occasion, providers across our temporary accommodation portfolio may advise that rooms are unavailable for a variety of reasons, one being maintenance.

“In such circumstances, we will not allocate applicants to such rooms until the provider advises they are available again.”

It said it had received “no complaints on the living standards at this facility”.

“In any case like this, we work positively with provider organisations to address any issues,” it added in a statement.

The NIHE said the responsibility for accommodation standards rests with the provider.