People come to assistance of homeless pregnant woman

THE people of Wexford came to the assistance of a pregnant woman who found herself homeless and without shelter in last week’s dreadful weather. Having arrived from Co Wicklow, the woman had been liaising with Wexford County Council and local group Wexford People Helping People ( WPHP) and had made use of housing supports previously before falling off the system and ending up sleeping rough once again with her partner in Wexford town.

Upon learning that she was ten weeks pregnant, the woman reached out again to WPHP seeking accommodation. Her harrowing texts (with names redacted) were shared showing her as saying: ‘We have nowhere to go and are literally on the streets pregnant. We are so cold. What do we do?’

WPHP engaged with Wexford

County Council on the woman’s behalf and it emerged that she was registered on the housing list in Co Wicklow.

In the meantime, the community rallied behind the homeless couple.

‘We’re extremely grateful to people who donated,’ said WPHP founder Claire Malone.

‘We paid for them to stay the first night in The Maldron Hotel and then others paid for their stay on Friday and Saturday, along with a meal, and then we used donations received to pay for Sunday too.

Wexford County Council have engaged in this case and everyone involved has done their best for this lady. The county council will now return her to her own local authority and WPHP has provided enough for a deposit and the first month’s rent on an apartment on the understanding that Wicklow County Council will fast-track them for HAP (Housing Assistance Payment).’

Ahead of the weekend, Claire noted that housing officials were actively engaging with rough sleepers.

‘At the moment, we’ve still around ten who are on the street, but some of these look set to be accommodated by the council,’ she said.