Simon wet shelter for homeless to keep 12 people from sleeping rough

A WET shelter for homeless street drinkers is set to fully open in Cork within weeks.

Cork Simon’s Gateway project on Leitrim Street, in which people will be allowed to drink, will prevent 12 people from having to sleep rough on the city’s streets.

The 24-hour operation will offer one-to-one support to some of the city’s most vulnerable people and also free up space in Simon’s emergency shelter.

News about the long-awaited project was confirmed yesterday as Cork Simon launched its four-year plan to tackle homelessness.

The ambitious strategy, A Better Life, A Better World: Creating Pathways For Change, aims to minimise the time people have to stay in emergency accommodation. It will also help them to find more permanent forms of accommodation.

Cork Simon director Colette Kelleher described the Gateway as a bold step for the city towards tackling homelessness.

“Over time, she said, it will have a positive impact on the culture of street drinking. Opening Gateway will help to make a significant impact on reducing the number of people that have to sleep rough in the city,” she said.

“We’re currently turning away an average of 12 to 14 people every night because our emergency shelter is full. Once Gateway opens, freeing up 12 emergency beds, we’re hopeful that we will see a significant reduction in the number of people we have to turn away every night.

“At long last we will be able to offer people who are very sick and vulnerable the kind of support they need to enable them to start their journey out of homelessness.”

The four-year strategy, launched by Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Patricia Gosch, aims to create 144 places by 2011 in secure, long-term accommodation.

A range of new health, education, training, employment and addiction supports are also planned.

And just days before the budget, Ms Kelleher warned the Government to keep its promise to make the poor and vulnerable its top priority.

“As we face difficult times, and the prospect of more people turning to us for help, that promise will have to be honoured. We will only succeed with leadership, political will and financial commitment from Government. We’ll be holding them to their promise,” she said.