THE number of homeless people in Limerick has increased by 15 per cent in the past year, according to a co-ordinator at a city based homeless centre.
However, there is said to be adequate emergency accommodation to cater for those looking for a bed in the city.
Rob Lowth, Co-ordinator at the Homeless Persons Centre was speaking to the Limerick Post in response to claims made by a homeless couple that they had been turned away from every shelter in the city.
“As long as people comply with the rules nobody is turned away”, said Mr. Lowth. “People who engage with the office are all provided with accommodation. “Figures of homeless people in the city and region have risen an average of 15% and in the middle of the recession there are a lot of people down on their luck, but they are all receiving social welfare”.
Mr. Lowth explained that there are rules to be followed at the shelters, but that the hostels are lenient when it comes to alcoholics and drug users, providing a needle exchange programme.
“Drug use is not condoned but we have programmes to help users deal with addiction and provide a needle exchange to ensure users have clean needles”.
The Cecil Street centre is staffed by the HSE and the city council is run as part of the authority’s Housing and Social Policy department.
Among the services provided at the centre are support with mental health difficulties, a public health nurse, two community welfare officers, a youth project worker as well as a tenancy support and hostel resettlement officer.
“We will be introducing specific permanent accommodation to house people in the long term”, explained Mr. Louth.
“The resettlement workers help them to become adjusted once people are housed, and makes that they are living as normal as possible”.
The centre is run in co-ordination with the St. Vincent de Paul Drop-In Centre on Hartstonge street, where food and drink is available, as well as a laundry service, medication, information and support.
