Recovering drug addicts are facing homelessness today when Fair Havens, the Island's only residential rehabilitation centre for women, closes.

The centre in Smiths closes its doors today, according to a recorded message at the home.

Last night residents said they had no idea where they would go tonight when they are forced the leave the centre.

According to residents interviewed on ZBM news, there are three women still at the centre who have nowhere to go.

Fair Havens announced earlier in this month that it was refusing to take any more clients because it could not afford to run at low occupancy levels.

The 18 bed centre was to continue as a recovery centre and shelter for recovering addicts who had received treatment at other centres.

But the telephone message at the centre last night said Fair Havens is now out of operation, and addicts were advised to contact either Turning Point or Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre.

One resident named as Marsha, who had been at Fair Havens for eight months, said last night: "Recovery is so good, and I don't want to go out to the jungle where I came from.

"I need a safe haven, and Fair Havens closes its doors tomorrow and I don't know where I am going to go.

"It would be helpful if Fair Havens stays open for a couple more months and maybe I can find somewhere else to stay.

"It really, really hurts knowing that if I was to leave Fair Havens tomorrow, I would come back the next day and the doors would be locked and bolted.

"Between tonight and tomorrow I will have to get my stuff out of there because they are not staying open for the three of us and we've nowhere to go.

"I've got family, but they are all full, and if they were not full they would take me in. I can't believe Fair Havens will shut their doors and put me out in the world.

"I find Fair Havens very good. I've done very intensive treatment and its like, if I had not have come to Fair Havens at the time I did, I would still be using drugs. Fair Havens has done a helluva lot for me."

She said if she had known eight months ago Fair Havens was to close, she would have committed a crime to get locked up in prison.

Another addict, Penny, who turned to Fair Havens three weeks ago from Turning Point, said: "I've been clean since leaving Turning Point and I feel very good. If I wasn't this strong I would have gone out and used them again. I don't want to do that again.

"I have children and grandchildren, but I have nowhere to go. My niece has called other shelters and they are all full. I guess I'll stay at Fair Havens with my base and baggage until they kick me out."

In mid-December, Fair Havens management stated 32 women had been admitted for treatment in the past 11 months, but none had entered the programme since July.

The closure could place question marks over Government's Alternatives to Incarceration programme which offers treatment rather prison for offenders with drug habits.

Messages from The Royal Gazette last night to Fair Havens executive director Anne Vance were not returned.

The voicemail message at Fair Havens directed queries to Fair Havens Christian Care chair Elaine Charles, but she could not be contacted for comment.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome did not respond to a call by press time last night.