‘New homeless’ on increase
There are many reasons why people find themselves with nowhere to live. Eviction, rising rents, family disputes, marriage break-up, unemployment, alcoholism and drug addiction all play their part in the growing number of people presenting as homeless.
While the recent rough sleepers count failed to find anyone sleeping out on Dundalk’s streets, there’s anecdotal evidence of people sleeping in cars or couch surfing in the homes of relatives of friends.
Those who have nowhere to sleep turn up at the housing clinic held by Louth County Council’s housing officer Denis McArdle at County Hall and are assigned emergency accommodation in B&Bs or the Simon community depending on their circumstances.
Director of Service Joe McGuinness says that the profile of those presenting as homeless has changed. ‘ The difference is the new homeless. Traditionally we dealt with adults who often had mental health problems, behavioural or disability issues. Now that is changing and we are dealing with families.’
‘Of the families whom we have living in emergency accommodation, all except two, have children,’ says Mr McArdle, who is available around the clock for those who find themselves on the street.
Louth is one of the leading local authorities in the country when it comes to tackling the problem of homelessness, according to Mr McGuinness. ‘We have progressed the matter through a number of pilot schemes and are the only local authority outside of Dublin to do a rough sleepers count. We also run a tenant sustainability course to help people who are coming out of emergency accommodation or are at risk of losing their home.’
They work alongside the Simon Community, Drogheda Homeless Aid, and Drogheda Women and Children’s Refuge to fund 51 hostel beds which are permanently full. The council has also set up a Homeless Action Team with representatives of the HSE, Tusla, and the Department of Social Protection which meets every fortnight to review the needs of those who have presented as homeless and to support them.
‘We were the first council in the country to have a protocol with the prison service so we know when people are being released and that is working well,’ says Mr McGuinness.