They are planning to temporarily move to the Glen Road area
Glen Road Belfast stock image(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
A charity supporting homeless people said they are keen to reassure local residents in West Belfast of their “excellent track record of safety” ahead of a planned temporary move to the area.
Simon Community is planning to temporarily relocate its young person’s service to Glen Road in early 2026 while their current home in South Belfast undergoes an essential refurbishment. This service will offer temporary accommodation to 26 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 “who need a safe and stable home to enter the next chapter of their lives”.
Ahead of the planned move, a group of residents in the Coolnasilla Residents Group have shared a number of concerns. This includes “child safety risks” due to adjacent schools on the Glen Road, “exposure to anti-social behaviour, noise, and increased police activity”, and concerns around “potential housing of individuals with criminal records or high support needs”.
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In quelling concerns from residents, the charity said alcohol and drugs “are not permitted on the premises” and “the young people are supported to live safely and responsibly as part of the wider community”. Additionally, they said the current service has “operated successfully” right beside Methodist College for over 20 years.
A charity spokesperson added: “The site is fully enclosed, with its own garden space, and is designed to provide a calm and secure environment where young people can focus on building their independence.
“Our highly experienced team at Malone Road will relocate with the service. Staff are fully trained and available on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide support and to respond quickly to any issues or concerns.”
Jim Dennison, Simon Community Chief Executive, told Belfast Live: “Right now, we run a young people’s accommodation service on the Malone Road. The building there needs urgent redevelopment and is no longer safe to live in. So, to make sure the young people continue receiving the support they need, we will temporarily relocate to the Glen Road.
“We understand that when any new service opens this can naturally raise questions and concerns. We want to reassure local residents, parents and the wider community that this particular service has operated successfully in South Belfast for over 20 years, right beside Methodist College, with an excellent record of safety and positive neighbour relations.
“For the past six months we have been exploring Glen Road as a possible new home for the young people and have been engaging with local schools and elected representatives. We know this matters to people locally, and we’re committed to staying in touch, listening to concerns and meeting with community members as plans progress.”
Another concern raised by residents in the Glen Road area was the number of Simon Community residences in West Belfast.
Jim Dennison added: “Northern Ireland is in the grip of a homelessness crisis, and every day we see the real human cost of it. For over 50 years, Simon Community has supported people experiencing homelessness through 21 accommodation services across Northern Ireland, including a long-established presence in West Belfast.
“Right now, 62,314 people in Northern Ireland are experiencing homelessness – that’s 1 in 31 people – including more than 19,000 children. Each night we provide 480 beds across all our services yet demand far exceeds what is available.
“In the final week of November 2025 alone, we received 504 urgent calls from people needing somewhere safe to stay, but across all our services there were just 13 rooms available. West Belfast is particularly affected, with almost 7,000 people currently experiencing homelessness — the second-highest figure in Northern Ireland.”
The charity is hosting a opening evening at the proposed site to address any concerns local residents may have.
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