The Salvation Army has called on Government to get on with plans to replace the ageing emergency housing shelter in North Street which has been targeted by drug pushers.

Last night Salvation Army Major Lindsay Rowe said Works and Engineering had made an effort in cleaning up the property, putting in a new fence and was now talking about putting a wall around the property.

He said that would help deter the drug pushers.

?You cannot pass substances through a wall but they can do that through a fence,? he said. ?They have done a little bit better in terms of maintenance of the property but it is a band aid approach, it is just not adequate for what needs to be done. Fixing it up is not the answer.

?You need a purpose-built facility designed for various levels of housing, designed for issues that grab people there.

?I think they know that but there doesn?t seem to be the commitment to find the funding to make that happen.?

Earlier this year Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent said Government was looking at replacing the dilapidated Salvation Army homeless facility with a new shelter of more than 100 places, including some independent living units but there was no timetable for work.

Maj. Rowe also called for Government to deal with drug dealing squatters who inhabited tents and tarps on waste land by Carworld who preyed on emergency shelter residents.

?I cannot understand why someone would want to live there unless there was something in it for them. They need to be moved.?

He spoke after Government issued a press release denying it had cut funds for the emergency housing complex.

Maj. Rowe agreed, but said the Salvation Army had requested extra funding after telling Government that the Employment Act, which ended long shifts by night supervisors and required more staff, had added $150,000 in annual staffing costs.

The release said Government, through the Bermuda Housing Corporation, provided other short-term shared emergency facilities including:

Building 632 on Southside St. David?s ? 20 rooms (women and children)

Black Circle Building on Union Street ? nine rooms - (individuals and families)

Franklin Cottage on Union Street ? six rooms (single men)

Stone Hall on Victoria Street ? four rooms (women and children)

Government plans to replace Building 632 at Southside with another Southside facility of 39 to 42 rooms in two buildings, one for women and children only and one for families.