A group which supports homeless people is calling for change to encourage rough sleepers off the streets.
Homeless advocacy group Left Outside Alone say some street sleepers are put off official shelters by things like aggressive behaviour and needles in the toilets.
They also claim recovering alcoholics are worried they will start to drink again if they stay at a homeless centre.
The group want Cardiff Council to speed up plans for helping rough sleepers, and to expand a pilot scheme to house people in converted shipping containers.
But Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council responded by saying: “I accept sometimes they [homeless people going to shelters] can be afraid, but that fear is sometimes caused by a friction they’ve had with other people.”
She added that drugs were not allowed in any of the council’s shelters, but admitted she had heard stories of their use.
Cardiff Council is already considering a plan for old shipping containers to be converted into temporary homes for people with nowhere to go.
Cadwyn Housing Association want to construct fourteen container homes on Bute Street as part of a pilot project.
But Chris Newth, who started Left Outside Alone’s campaign, wants this to happen sooner. “I’d like to see more done for the homeless,” he said.
“Bring some shipping containers over,” he added.
“They’re doing it in Wrexham, London, Bristol. Bring them here – there’s plenty of empty land.”
