Anger over wet shelter for homeless people

RESIDENTS will target a contentious city council meeting tonight which looks set to give the green light to Cork’s first wet shelter for homeless street drinkers.

North River Quarter Community Group spokesman Brian Trevor also threatened to run candidates in next year’s general election if the controversial project is voted through.

The council, as part of its strategy to tackle homelessness, plans to develop the wet shelter in a premises at 34, Leitrim Street. The Cork Simon-run facility will target up to 15 homeless people with chronic alcohol problems to get them off the streets.

They will be offered a range of health services, including addiction counselling. The facility is essential because Simon’s existing 44-bed emergency shelter on Anderson’s Quay is at capacity, Simon director Colette Kelleher said.

Twelve homeless people died on Cork’s streets last year. Ms Kelleher said the proposed wet shelter, or Gateway project, would save lives.

Councillors will be presented with a report tonight recommending that the project go ahead. However, Mr Trevor said his group, which represents over 820 people and numerous business and schools, is totally opposed to the project.

“We are absolutely opposed to the concept of a wet shelter,” he said.

“This is a facility where residents can drink alcohol on an unlicensed premises 24-hours a day. We would question the wisdom of putting these individuals into a community of 4,000 people.”

Christian Brothers College, Scoil Mhuire, St Angela’s, Bruce College, Hewitt College, Griffith College, Cork Language School and Happy Days Creche are all in the neighbourhood.

“The frightening nature of the condition of people using the shelter, given their chronic addiction to alcohol, will scare schoolchildren and force them to step onto busy streets to avoid them,” Mr Trevor said.

He said the community is sympathetic to the homeless. “We would embrace any other Simon project. They could use the building as a residential home, but not a wet shelter,” he said.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Tim Brosnan said that he also had concerns about the project and about the timing of tonight’s vote.