Hamilton vagrants anti-social: claim

Some Hamilton business owners are calling for action against vagrants they claim are behaving anti-socially in the  south end of  the CBD.

They say the area around Riff Raff park has become a hotspot for the homeless, causing concern for the public and businesses who are affected by disruptive behaviour.

The River Kitchen owner Brent Quarrie says many homeless people tend to walk past and take food scraps off plates.

“They go and stand right next to them [customers] and stare to intimidate them. It’s not good for business,” he says.

Quarrie says urination in doorways, on benches, and outside shops is a regular occurrence which is often left to him to clean up.

“One woman even squatted down and relieved herself in the middle of the street.”

Subway manager Prabhjot Singh is also concerned about vagrancy.“They are always in Subway and cause a lot of trouble. They tag and swear when customers are in the store.The council should find them some work and get them off the streets.”

 But student Chloe Taylor disagrees.

“They are part of our society and we need to help them in some way. You can’t just move them along and create a problem somewhere else, the council needs to find somewhere to house them.”

A men’s shelter on Rostrevor Street, run by the Hamilton Christian Night Shelter Trust, provides “plenty of room” for homeless people to sleep and be fed, according to homeless man, Dillan.

However, the shelter closes at 8.30am, leaving the occupants no choice but to go out onto the streets.

Hamilton resident Jonathan Duncan believes the council should provide a place  that does not “kick them out in the morning”.

And Aaron, who was previously homeless , says he used to camp “up where the lake is.

“I only had a blanket and a bag. I’ve gone back to living in a building with four walls now because it’s a lot more comfortable living somewhere knowing you can crash out and sleep for days.”

While Aaron understands what it is like to be homeless, he believes the Council should do what they think is necessary.

“They should move people on and get rid of them if they have to, but just in a nice way. Make everybody happy. But at the end of the day it is up to the Council.”