AN ONLINE petition to return the hi-pod homeless shelter to open space in Belfast city centre has been launched, as a leading housing charity calls on the Stormont executive to "respond to the real issues" by funding the building of 5,000 new social homes a year.
The Shelter organisation has said that the installation of the hi-pod was an "innovative attempt" to highlight the issue of homelessness. "The answer to rough sleeping, homelessness and severe housing need does not lie in an emergency homeless shelter, however innovative," Shelter NI director Tony McQuillan said. "The Department for Social Development hopes to start 2,000 new homes for rent this year but this level is to be reduced next year because of the lack of public funding. "We have seen health, education, training and employment being debated as priorities for public funding, but the housing debate has almost disappeared. "We believe that the executive needs to prioritise the new housing supply and to fund the provision of a minimum of 5,000 new social homes per year for each year of the next comprehensive spending review period."
The hi-pod was removed from Victoria Street on Monday by officials from Belfast City Council, citing health and safety concerns.
A petition launched yesterday said that the shelter "poses little or no threat to public safety" and called for its return.