AN MP and ward councilor have voiced their concerns over proposals to turn older persons’ apartments deemed "not fit for purpose" less than two years into housing for the homeless. 

The settled accommodation, at 35-59 Maes Emlyn in Rhyl, will be for individuals who have previously presented themselves to Denbighshire County Council as homeless. People will be able to stay for a minimum of six months and will be given support to find permanent homes.

The application, submitted by the local authority, involve the change of use of an existing block on the site [which contains 24 older persons’ apartments, the former warden’s accommodation and community rooms], to provide 24 settled homes for the homeless. 

Dr Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd, said: "During the pandemic and since, significant central government support has been provided to help the homeless and keep vulnerable people off the streets but the accommodation available to facilitate this has often been inappropriate. I commend the county council for investigating options to improve accommodation options.

"However, there will understandably be anxieties that any new or repurposed provision should take proper account of the level of need of all those being offered help. Necessary support certainly needs to be put in place, both for reasons of welfare and community safety.

"With specific reference to plans for Maes Emlyn, I am concerned both at the quality of the accommodation on offer and that the arrangement proposed could end up becoming longer-term in some form or other, or could hold back the planned redevelopment of the site. Rhyl also needs reassurances that the current inappropriate seafront accommodation being used will not be filled up once again by other local authorities and agencies, else the town stands to shoulder additional pressures that it will struggle to manage.

"I believe that solutions to assist high needs individuals are likely to work best if there are multiple sites limited to several units only and I would ask the council to consider the scale of what they are proposing at Maes Emlyn."

Rhyl East town and county councillor Justine Evans said: "There is no doubt that the homeless situation in Rhyl desperately needs addressing. The current arrangement of using hotels to accommodate homeless people is not good for them or the town.

"I fully support the need for the homeless to be provided with better accommodation, however given that Maes Emlyn was deemed not fit for purpose less than two years ago and the elderly residents were forced to move out, I’m not convinced that Maes Emlyn is the right option.

"I recognise that the council are ‘proposing’ some refurbishment works and energy efficiency improvements, but this seems a lot of work and investment for a project which is temporary. I also feel that placing all homeless people together does not provide them with the best chance of improving their lives. 

“I represent the residents of Rhyl East and will therefore be led by them.

"I have already consulted with some residents living close to Maes Emlyn and will be going out to speak to more."

A Design and Access Statement into proposals said: "The use proposed is the provision of settled accommodation for a period of not less than six months for citizens who have previously presented to the county council as being homeless together with accommodation for the support services required to assist them on the pathway to finding permanent homes.

"The proposal will deliver 24 units of settled accommodation and 401m2 of floor space for the provision of support services.

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"The Welsh Government is committed to making homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated. Its vision is that whilst prevention of homelessness should always remain the primary focus, when this has not worked, Rapid Rehousing is then essential to reduce the impact of homelessness and ensure it is unrepeated."

As of April 2022, there were 179 households in temporary emergency accommodation and a further 88 in temporary leased accommodation awaiting suitable and affordable permanent tenancies.

The largest proportion of these are single and couple households under the age of 35. 

The statement added: "The residents of the former older persons’ apartment complex at Maes Emlyn, which mainly comprised one-bedroom units, were relocated to accommodation which was more appropriate to their needs. The council’s long-term vision for the site is to redevelop it to provide modern, social rented homes which meet unmet housing need. However, in the medium term there is an opportunity to bring part of the site back into use to provide settled accommodation of a size that is appropriate to meet the requirements of the majority of the households in temporary accommodation."

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