CARRICK Hill residents have expressed their unhappiness with plans from the Belfast Charitable Society to build accommodation at the corner of Clifton Street and Trinity Street for young people leaving the care sector.

At a meeting between residents, representatives of the Belfast Charitable Society and MACS Charity on Thursday, plans were laid out for the new accommodation which according to the Society would proved "a home for ten young care leavers from north Belfast who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness"

They also said that the new accommodation would provide "security and stability for up to a maximum of seven years," and would be a "calm, stable environment for a small group of young people".

Representatives from MACS, who will be responsible for delivering the project, said that it is not "a drop-in centre, an emergency shelter, an addiction facility, or a secure unit" or "a centre for people who're not legally permitted to stay in the country".

MACS representatives explained that the risk of homelessness for those leaving care was highest in the two years after leaving, and that a "stable home and support at this stage can help build an independent life," and that the housing would be available to those aged between 18 and 25.

Carrick Hill residents were given the opportunity to voice their concerns following the conclusion of the presentation. Residents highlighted issues around drug use, anti-social behaviour and public order, with one resident saying that they found a syringe in their garden that morning.

Residents also highlighted issues around safeguarding for those who would be living in the new accommodation, with the proximity of the housing to interface flashpoints being of particular concern to one local. 

Speaking at the meeting, Frank Dempsey from Carrick Hill Residents' Association, said that residents were concerned about the prospect of "anti-social behaviour" and said that residents' worries "had not been taken on board".

Another resident who she he was born in the area in 1943 and is Carrick Hill "through and through," said he was "100 per cent against this," with another saying they had contacted other housing associations about drug use in the area and been told to "pick needles up" themselves.

Representatives from the Belfast Charitable Society and MACS said they would take residents' concerns onboard and meet again at a later date.