The private hostels are meant to care for vulnerable homeless people. But as crime soars, users suffer and neighbours despair, questions are being asked
Ela Sozeri felt hopeful when she was sent to a privately owned hostel in Birmingham, where support staff promised to help get her life back on track. She dreams of one day setting up her own craft business but has been held back by mental health problems and spells of homelessness. Yet her stay soon turned into a terrifying ordeal, which left her and her boyfriend cowering in their rooms in fear.
“When they showed us around, they told us we would get daily contact and support. But we actually didn’t get any [proper support],” she said. “We’ve only had problems here because the other tenants were heroin and crack users. We’re here because of emotional difficulties and having nowhere to live – not for drugs or anything like that.”
