Tag Archives: homeless

AN emergency housing unit for homeless people is set to be established in Ennis. Clare County Council is searching for a property in the town for the unit, director of service Liam Conneally has confirmed. At a meeting of the Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), Mr Conneally said a bid was made for a property last year but it proved unsuccessful. A second option was considered but the cost of the fit-out was higher than anticipated. The council has now increased its bid for the first property. SPC member Dermot Hayes said, “Homelessness has more than quadrupled and it’s tragic to see so many houses lying idle.” Mr Conneally acknowledged that the acquisition of a property “has taken a lot longer” than anticipated but he said it would be operating as soon as possible. In terms of location, he said the unit “has to be central”. Trade union representative Tom Guilfoyle urged the council to borrow money to allow more houses …

THERE were 10 more children homeless in the Mid-West in June, compared to May. The figures for “hidden homelessness”, however, where people are couch surfing with friends and family, could push the figures higher. Figures from the Department of Housing relating to the Mid-West show there were 112 dependents homeless during the week of June 19-25, compared to 102 from May 22-28. In total, it found that 317 adults accessed local authority-managed emergency accommodation during the period June 19-25, of which 39 were in Clare and 278 in Limerick. Of these adults, 42 are aged 18-24, 196 from 25-44, 72 from 45-64 and seven are over 65. About two-thirds were in supported temporary accommodation, including hostels, with on-site professional support. Another 82 were in private emergency accommodation, which may include hotels, B&Bs and other residential facilities. The figures compare poorly with June of 2016, when there were 18 homeless adults in Clare and just 19 dependents in the Mid-West. Tracey …

A homeless Clare family, whose previous residence burned down, have launched a High Court challenge aimed at compelling Clare County Council to provide them with accommodation. The action has been brought by David Mongans, his wife, Margaret Lisa Mongans and their four children, who the High Court heard are living in a caravan on the Kilrush Road in Ennis. The Traveller family say their current living conditions are unsuitable for their needs, particularly as some of their children, who are all young, suffer from significant health issues. The Mongans say their previous accommodation at Knockaneen was burnt in 2015 and that they have been homeless ever since. The have resided at different locations in the Ennis area and with relatives and have also spent time living in a shed. They are currently living in a caravan. They are on the local authority housing list. In their action against Clare County the family seek various orders including one compelling the council to …

Mid West Simon will host its inaugural corporate sleep out at Thomond Park, Limerick on Saturday, November 12. The group is aiming to raise funds to support its work and it is also focusing on raising awareness of the homeless situation in the region. “While many of the statistics that are reported in the media are Dublin-centred, we have an equivalent problem in the Mid-West. As in the rest of the country, building in the Mid-West came to a complete standstill during the recession and we are now seeing the results, which is a dramatic shortage of affordable accommodation,” Mid West Simon general manager Jackie Bonfield said. In 2006, 93,419 houses were built nationally but by 2014, the number of new house builds had reduced to 11,016. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) notes Ireland will have to build 25,000 residential houses per year in order to cope with the housing crisis. “Consecutive governments have relied on the building …

AN Ennis father has told of how his family spent Tuesday night sleeping in their car, after being made homeless. John Sweeney and his family have refused an offer by Clare County Council of a house in Kilrush, resulting in a refusal of welfare assistance for emergency accommodation. However, Mr Sweeney claims that the accommodation offer was refused out of fear, alleging he was threatened in Kilrush. He said the family, including seven children ranging in age from 12 years to five weeks, would “be walking into danger” if they moved back to Kilrush and he is appealing for the council to house them in Ennis. When contacted by The Clare Champion with Mr Sweeney’s claims, a spokesperson for Clare County Council stated the local authority does not comment on individual cases. The Department of Social Protection also responded that they do not comment on individual cases. “We didn’t take the house on the grounds of protecting me and my …

A homeless family, living in emergency accommodation for the past three and a half months, is begging Clare County Council to house them, as they cannot find suitable private, rental accommodation locally. Martin Mongan, his 21-year-old partner, Kathleen Delaney, and their two young children are currently living in one bedroom in a bed and breakfast in Lahinch. “It has been very, very hard. There is a lot of moving. Where we are now, we leave at about 12 noon or 1pm and we have to be gone until about 8pm or 9pm. My parents and brothers would collect us if the weather is bad but we have a double buggie and, in the fine weather, we walk down to Lahinch and wait there until we get collected,” Martin explained. “Then we wait with my parents in their house in Miltown Malbay and then, at night, we come back again. We have breakfast here and that is good and then, within …

THE Government has this Tuesday approved significant measures proposed by the Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan, to implement a housing-led approach to homelessness. The measures approved by Government follow on from the recommendations of the Homelessness Oversight Group which presented its first report to the minister in December. Minister O’Sullivan said, “There was full support among Cabinet colleagues today for the proposals I brought to Cabinet. There has been considerable pressure on homelessness services in recent months and it is vital that we bring a very focused approach to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping. “I believe that long-term homelessness can be eliminated by 2016. To achieve that goal it is vital to source a steady supply of suitable permanent accommodation. That is an essential part of a housing-led approach to homelessness. We will now put in place a practical plan to access this accommodation and support people in new tenancies. This will result in the closure of expensive …