Bed and breakfast accommodation used to house Island’s homeless 

High Bailiff critical of options available to those leaving custody

Bed and breakfast accommodation is being used to temporarily house vulnerable people who are homeless.

The Housing and Communities Board says it’s working on finalising details of a ‘strategic partnership’ which will help government provide emergency provision.

It follows criticism from the Island’s High Bailiff who has raised concerns about a lack of support for people who are homeless when they leave prison.

This week Jayne Hughes was effectively forced to remand a vulnerable individual, who was due to be released from custody, because there was nowhere suitable for him to live.

A senior probation worker described the situation as ‘totally unacceptable’ and Mrs Hughes told the court the lack of a homeless shelter on Island was ‘very regrettable’.

The Isle of Man’s night shelter, which was operated by Manx charity Graih, at Broadway Baptist Church was closed last year; leaving a drop-in day centre only.

Chris Thomas is the chair of the Housing and Communities Board and says tackling homelessness is still the number one priority.

He says he’d like to see something better than the emergency provision that was in place until last year and acknowledges there are still gaps that need addressing: