Yesterday, former residents are gathered in protest as their boarding house 'Hopfgarten' was shut down, due to fire restrictions by Newcastle council.
The shut down is forcing former drug addicts, now clean from the help of the boarding house, out on the streets. These men range in age, with the youngest being only 19, and one of the residents suffering from Parkinsons' Disease.
Former resident Dolten Kilmurray says that the boarding house is invaluable to the community, helping addicts have a place to recover, "The place we live is really valuable to the community of Newcastle. It takes the homeless off the street and gives addicts a place to recover.
The help we were told we would be given has been taken away. Matthew Talbot, a housing service in Newcastle, refers their people to the Hopfgarten after being put on a waiting list.
That's what the Newcastle council has done to us, put us on a waiting list after being told they will help with long term accommodation. It's just not right. It's not a death trap it's my home."
Source:
Interview, Oct 2
Dolton Kilmurray, Hopfgarten resident
Naakaree Spero, journalist