Homeless family forced to sleep on charity office floor
Mum tells of her ordeal to find beds for partner and two sons
A FAMILY forced to spend the night on a charity office floor fear they will end up on the streets as homeless figures reach a record high. For the past seven-and-a-half months, mum Cheryl Barnewell, 26, spends her days trying to arrange accommodation while working as a hairdresser. Things hit a new low for the young Dublin family on Tuesday night when they were told to find shelter in a Garda station. But there were no beds available for Cheryl, partner Glen Concannon, 26, and sons Clayton, nine, and 23-month-old Rocco due to an influx of tourists. But when they approached Finglas Garda station for shelter, they were told there was nothing suitable for them. However, Inner City Helping Homeless stepped in and allowed them to spend the night on their office floor. Cheryl said: “It was a nightmare. Despite everything I always make sure the kids have fresh clothes going to school. “Wednesday morning was the first time I had to send my boy in the same clothes he was wearing the day before. “By the time we ended up in the ICHH office it was 3am and we had to be up at 6am. I haven’t stopped crying since.” Cheryl said since then shelter has been arranged for her family at the Ashbourne Hotel for five nights. She added: “On Monday morning we’ll check out of the Ashbourne at 6.30am and once 9am comes I’ll be ringing around hotels again and we don’t know what could happen. It’s terrifying.” Cheryl and her family have been renting since Clayton was born and availing of the rent allowance scheme for the past seven years. She said: “I was told after five years I’d be given a Dublin City Council Home. But the five years came and went and I wasn’t given a home but we were happy where we were. Then, over seven months ago, the landlord sold our home and I had to register as homeless.” Cheryl hopes her family will be eligible for one of the modular homes planned for Finglas in the coming months. She said: “We are further down the priority list but we have been waiting for nine years, but after everything we’ve been through, we just need somewhere stable.” Inner City Helping Homeless’s Anthony Flynn said: “After calling up to 55 hotels to secure a placement, the option was taken to accommodate the family at our headquarters. “Although this would not be the chosen choice generally the only other alternative was that the family be directed to a Garda station. “Twelve families on the night had been referred to Garda stations due to lack of accommodation available in the city. “On the night, the highest ever recorded number of rough sleepers was counted. Inner City Helping Homeless outreach support team found 173 sleeping rough.”