Homeless couple are sleeping on the floor
WEXFORD Housing Action Group have highlighted the case of a homeless couple who are sleeping on a floor in the home of one of their volunteers because all emergency accommodation in the area is full.
Kathleen Phillips and Tom Murphy have been homeless for over three weeks since the owner of the house they previously rented at Ballykelly on the Kilmore Road decided to return from the US to live.
They have been unable to find suitable rented accommodation in the Wexford area and the only emergency accommodation offered by the County Council is in a Bed and Breakfast in Courtown.
Kathleen, a mother and grandmother who grew up in Maudlintown uses a walking frame following a broken hip, has severe arthritis and finds walking difficult and painful. She also suffers from cirrhosis of the liver as well as kidney and bowel problems.
The 54 year old takes a large quantity of medication every day to manage her illnesses and requires full-time assistance with her personal care.
She is looked after by her partner Tom, a native of the Newline Road in Wexford who previously served a total of 15 years in prison for arson and manslaughter and lived in Dublin for several years before returning to Wexford in 2004 when he applied to join the housing list.
Kathleen who has five grownup children and six grandchildren said that living in Courtown is not an option for her as she has appointments twice weekly with her GP in Wexford and the journey to and from Courtown would be unbearable due to her mobility problems. Her movement is restricted to the point where she is unable to walk up stairs anymore.
Kathleen has a travel pass but it doesn’t entitle a companion to travel with her and she is unable to use public transport without assistance.
The Housing Action Group paid for one night’s B&B for the couple but does not have the funding to pay for any more. ‘We would appreciate any assistance that could be provided for this couple’, said a spokeswoman for the group.
Kathleen’s youngest daughter Shannon, aged 19 has been residing with her two brothers since she became homeless but is anxious to resume living with her mother.
‘Ideally, we’re looking for a ground floor place with two to three bedrooms because of the children and grandchildren,’ said Kathleen.
‘Most places are looking for a month’s deposit and a month’s rent in advance. I don’t have that. Some of them want bank statements and phone references. I wouldn’t have that kind of thing.’
‘I went to the Council and I was offered B&B accommodation in Courtown but what would I do all day. I would have to get out of there every morning,’ she said.
Kathleen said she had a local authority house many years ago and gave it up for ‘personal’ reasons which were unconnected to rent. She has been on the housing list again since 2009.
Tom and Kathleen have been together for the past eight years. After coming out of prison, Tom (52) worked as as an assistant with the Centre for Independent Living in Dublin and returned to Wexford following the death of his previous partner and his mother after which he had a difficult time with drugs and drink.‘I basically wanted to die myself. I did my time. I changed my life from being a scumbag. I don’t do any harm to anyone except myself,’ he said.
A Housing Action Group volunteer who accompanied the couple to Council headquarters in Carricklawn said staff have a ‘judgmental’ attitude towards them
‘ The Council is being judgmental about these people because of Tom’s background. Kathleen was a working mother who reared five children,’ he said. ‘ The day we went up there we used one of the wheelchairs in the lobby so that Kathleen could sit down while we were waiting outside for a taxi. You could see they thought we were going to take it,’ he said.