Residents of Teplice are signing a petition against the establishment of a low-rise centre for the homeless in a former substation in the Trnovany district. They fear a deterioration of security in the area, which is already a problem. Dozens of them came to the building, which the town hall wants to rebuild, today for a debate with representatives of the town and social service providers.
The municipality will only implement the plan if it receives a subsidy, which should cover most of the costs. The investment is worth CZK 30 million. The town hall will apply for the subsidy in the summer. The centre would offer sanitary facilities for the homeless, food and support in dealing with personal issues. It would also provide support for families in crisis situations and social counselling. All three services would be financed from the state budget.
At the debate before the changeover, people shared their experiences of life in Trnovany. Some said they were afraid to let their children out in the evening or to walk their dog. “We don’t want the homeless here,” was repeatedly said. Vít Kraus, one of the petition’s authors, said the city was withholding information about the establishment of the center. Councillors approved the plan in February, and the building is owned by the city.
According to Mayor Jiří Štábl (ANO), security at the site will be ensured by cameras and municipal police. Iva Tichá, head of the Teplice City Council’s social services department, said social services need to be provided in the place where the problems are. Citizens are concerned about the reduction in property values and the threat to business activity in the area.
According to residents, Teplice suffers from the fact that the local hospital is a detention centre for the entire Ústí nad Labem region. Barbora Bočková of the non-profit organization Květina said that about 120 people end up in the detention centre every month, of whom a third or a quarter are homeless and half are residents of Teplice. “The rest are provided with emergency assistance from the labour office to get back,” she said. Roughly 80 percent of people end up at the detention centre because of alcohol, and 20 percent are drug addicts. In 2022, 360 of the 1,239 clients were homeless, or 30 percent.
Source: CTK
