Homeless family who sought Garda help ‘had turned down housing assistance payment’
A COUPLE with two young children who sought refuge at a Gard station earlier this week had previously turned down a government scheme to help rent a property.
The family declined the payment which can amount to up to €1,250 a month toward renting a home – for fear that they would lose their place on the local authority housing list.
Their previous landlord under a Dublin City Council rental scheme had served a notice to quit on the property and the family said they did not want to risk this happening again.
The story of hairdresser Cheryl Barnewell, 26, her sons Clayton, 9, and Rocco, 23 months, and partner Glen Concannon, 26, came to public notice earlier this week after it was reported that 12 homeless families had been forced to present themselves at Garda stations because they had nowhere to stay.
However it only emerged yesterday that Ms Barnewell and her family haddeclined to take part in the government’s Housing Assistance scheme.
It also emerged last night that some of the families concerned had just arrived in Ireland from abroad.
The Dublin City Council’s Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) said that more accommodation has now been made available and has doubled the amount of hotel rooms it usually block books.
The council added that the number of those seeking accommodation on Tuesday night was greater than ever before experienced.
‘On a nightly basis dedicated staff in the Family Homeless Action Team work with families that present in an emergency and book accommodation as required,’ the agency said.
Ms Barnewell told RTÉ radio yesterday the situation was ‘heart-breaking’.
‘I collected my son from his boxing and I went to the police station at 9pm. I said what DRHE had told me and they said, “There’s nothing we can do for you, you can’t stay here.”
‘I said I was told they’d put me into a cell and they said I’d have to be arrested to get put into a cell,’ Ms Barnewell told Today With Seán O’Rourke.
The family eventually slept on mattresses at the offices of the Inner City Helping Homeless charity.
Director of advocacy with Focus Ireland Mike Allen said the organisation had no other option for safe shelter for the families.