A housing association in Macclesfield has highlighted the financial cost of failing to provide support for tenants with substance issues.
Adullam Homes Housing Association believes more than £500,000 has been spent by police and health services over the course of one year dealing with tenants who misuse drugs and are involved with associated criminal activity.
The housing association has extrapolated from the challenging and offending behaviour of one residence, who was referred to the Cheshire East Substance Recovery project.
The resident triggered 88 police calls, three overnight hospital admissions, 46 ambulance call-outs, and ten walk-in presentations to A&E.
The housing association says this is one example of the heavy financial and social costs of people whose needs are not appropriately met.
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, recently visited the Cheshire East Substance Recovery to see for himself the important work being carried out at the service. The Crime Prevention Fund has provided £2,500 for testing kits for current and future residents.
Elaine Sharkey, director of operations from Adullam Homes said: “When someone is misusing drugs or alcohol the cost to society can be tremendous, with vital police and health resources being diverted to deal with their crisis behaviour rather than support being provided to deal with their problems and assist them to live a substance free life.
“The Cheshire East Substance Recovery Project enables individuals to become contributing members of society. However, in these times of austerity commissioners are being faced with difficult decisions on the location and scale of services being provided. The money from the Crime Prevention Fund is invaluable as economic factors mean that services like ours have to rely on donations to allow the vital, and in the long-term cost effective, work to continue.”
Police & Crime Commissioner John Dwyer said: “I was really impressed with the work being done by Adullam Housing Association, and I know from my conversation with the Constabulary that there are some real benefits being delivered, not only from those in the program but also to the wider community and police service.”