Long-term homelessness in Cork up 10% since last year

Record numbers sought help from Cork Simon last year as the city’s long-term homeless figure surged 10%.

A total of 1,403 people turned to the charity for help last year — an 18% increase in 12 months and the highest figure in the charity’s 46-year history.

Seven years ago, just 35 people were recorded as sleeping rough in the city throughout 2011 — an average of two people rough sleeping every night.

However, Cork Simon’s 2017 annual report, which will be published today, shows that the nightly rough sleeping figure has surged to 19.

More people in the city are classed as long-term homeless than ever before; of the 855 people who presented at Cork Simon’s soup run, almost a third were in private rented accommodation; and last year’s winter shelter initiative, Night Light, was continued indefinitely due to demand. The report also shows:

- 339 people used Cork Simon’s emergency shelter last year, with people staying for longer than ever before;

- The average length of stay has risen from 44 days in 2014 to 62 days last year;

- On most nights, 36 of those people using the shelter were classed as long-term homeless;

- In total, 57 of those who engaged with Cork Simon were classed as long-term homeless — a 10% increase;

- There were 10,345 presentations to the charity’s day service — a 10% increase;

- And a total of 790 people used those services — a 7% increase;

The emergency winter shelter, established on November 1 to provide 15 additional spaces in the emergency shelter on Anderson’s Quay, remains open.

The initiative looks set to roll into next month and into the charity’s 2018 winter shelter initiative.

Responding to the demand, Cork Simon increased its emergency bed capacity, opened its day service for rough sleepers on Saturdays, and opened a three-bed aftercare house for women leaving drug and alcohol treatment programmes.

The charity’s director, Dermot Kavanagh, described 2017 as yet another very challenging year.

Some very worrying trends emerged,” he said. “People ended up staying for much longer periods of time in our emergency shelter because they couldn’t satisfy a basic need — find a place to call home.

“The number of people long-term homeless — stuck in our shelter for six months or more, increased by 10%.

“We supported 171 people in housing — a big step forward in leaving the traumatic experience of homelessness behind. But it’s clearly not enough.

We’re sourcing as much housing as we can, but the supply problem must be addressed urgently. More people remain stuck in our shelter for longer because they are effectively locked out of the housing market.

The charity supported 171 people into housing last year, helped 206 people into training, and 58 people into employment.

Mr Kavanagh said research by UCC’s Department of Applied Psychology found many of those using their services have experienced five or six traumatic incidents in childhood, such as physical and sexual abuse, the death of a parent, neglect, or witnessing domestic violence. The charity has now taken those findings into account in how it designs and deliver services to make them easier to access.