18th February 2026
Simon Community has provided an update on plans to temporarily relocate its Young Person Service for 18-25 year olds from Malone Road, South Belfast to Glen Road, West Belfast.
For more than 20 years, our dedicated Young Person Service has operated from a building on the Malone Road. However, the property is no longer safe to live in. Persistent leaks and significant structural issues mean it now requires a full and urgent refurbishment. These works will take approximately two years, during which the young people currently living there cannot safely remain.
Simon Community had originally planned to move the service into the Glen Road property in December 2025. However, in response to community concerns, the move was paused to allow for further community engagement, information sharing and discussion. While we continue to work toward relocation, a new date has not yet been confirmed. Our current building must be vacated by mid-March. Without an alternative in place, the 26 young people living there will lose their home, and we will be forced to separate them from each other and from the support staff they rely on.
The Glen Road building offers:
- An enclosed and secure site
- Self-contained units for privacy and independence
- Proximity to transport, education and employment
- Space for a calm, stable, medium-term residential environment
Our extensive experience running this service in South Belfast gives us confidence we can manage it safely and successfully in this temporary location.
Placing young people at the heart of our decision-making is essential. As one young resident, Meabh*, 22, explained:
“For young people like us, having somewhere safe to live isn’t just about a bed. It’s about the door with the lock on it. And being part of a community that accepts you makes all the difference. Feeling accepted gives you the capacity to move forward in your life."
“I want people to know that the situations that bring someone to homelessness are not as far away as most people think. No matter how well you’re doing, you’re only ever a few steps away. One day this service could be needed by someone you care about."
“Homelessness is not a choice, and it’s not a life sentence. I’m not looking for sympathy - I’m asking for a chance. The same chance every young person deserves.”
We remain committed to being open, transparent and a good neighbour. Since summer 2025, we have engaged with schools, elected representatives, community groups and local residents.
Activity so far includes:
- Two open days at the new Glen Road site in December 2025 and January 2026 with over 60 attendees
- Meetings with community groups and representatives
- Property adjustments based on community feedback, including window frosting, restrictors and enhanced CCTV
- A forthcoming multiagency roundtable discussion in late February
We understand concerns, and we will continue to listen and respond. We know that many local people have questions around safety and this is central to our work:
- Every young person is carefully assessed before placement
- No high-risk individuals, including those with histories of sexual offences, will be placed at Glen Road
- There is a dedicated staff team onsite 24/7
- We collaborate closely with statutory agencies including the PSNI
- Robust safeguarding and operational processes are in place across all services
Drugs and alcohol are not permitted on site, and our staff are very experienced in addressing concerns quickly and supportively.
Jim Dennison, Chief Executive of Simon Community said:
“We operate more than 20 accommodation services safely across towns and cities in Northern Ireland, many in residential neighbourhoods and near schools. We simply could not do this if community safety and safeguarding were not deeply ingrained in our processes.
I want to reassure the local community again that this is not a drop-in service or an emergency shelter. It’s a medium-term residential service where young people live for an extended period - typically 12 to 18 months, and sometimes for the full two years the service is in place.
I also need to be clear about what is at stake. If this service cannot open, there will be 26 fewer safe places to stay for young people who do not have a home. Without services like this - or organisations like Simon Community - homelessness does not go away. And its impacts become more visible and more severe.”
When refurbishment is complete, the young people’s service will return to its home on Malone Road. We will then review local housing needs before any decisions about future use of Glen Road.
Across Northern Ireland, 62,314 people are officially classified as homeless - around one in every 31 people. This figure has more than doubled over the past decade. West Belfast is particularly impacted, with approximately 7,000 people currently experiencing homelessness, the second highest figure in the region (after Foyle).
Questions, concerns, or requests for further information are very welcome, and Simon Community strongly encourages anyone who wishes to engage to get in touch – feedback@simoncommunity.org
*name changed to protect client.