HOMELESS support services put out a SOS call this Wednesday to people sleeping rough in sub-zero temperatures as a number of people appeared to have slept out in the freezing conditions in Limerick City.
Despite temperatures plummeting to below freezing on Tuesday, signs of people sleeping rough appeared on the outskirts of the city as morning broke on Wednesday.
A tent and blankets left by a wall not far from the city centre was a grim reminder of the homeless crisis.
When this reporter visited the scene and made enquires, reliable sources said the tent was being used by a woman sleeping rough.
Another tent was erected in the Corbally area.
A lady desperately seeking accommodation sat out on a thin piece of cardboard off O’Connell Street on Wednesday morning as temperatures slowly climbed to -1 degree.
The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was “very, very cold today, the forecast is for -10 and it’s not good for anyone’s health to sit on the street, it can cause hypothermia, you could die and it’s not how anyone should be living”.
She said it’s “a possibility that I might have to stay out tonight and that I might have nowhere to go”.
“I’ve been on the street since New Year’s Eve. As a vulnerable person I find the homeless hostels intimidating, they don’t provide for vulnerable people who can’t go and share accommodation with people involved in substance abuse and violence problems. I cannot go in the hostels, so really there is no help for me.
“Everyone is needing help but there isn’t enough help, it’s a terrible situation that vulnerable people can be left on the streets literally to die.
“I’m looking after myself, I’m clean, and I’m doing my best for myself, but the help isn’t there.”
The woman said she tries to gather enough money everyday to sleep in bed and breakfast accommodation as she is too scared to stay in emergency hostel accommodation.
Shivering with the cold, she said “the ground is cold, I should be wearing thermal leggings and the cold in the ground is getting to me”.
“All the services are swamped, there is not enough help, especially not the help that a vulnerable person needs,” she reiterated.
“A lot of the services are geared up for people with addiction problems, but there isn’t really a service for a vulnerable homeless person”.
The lady said she wanted to say “thanks” to people who stop and talk to her and help her.
Her message to the government is to build more homes fast.
“The same government has been elected again and it is hard to see that there is going to be change. The government need to consider that we, the homeless, are not just a drain on resources; the government are creating a potential economic catastrophe by not providing housing, and things are only going to get worse unless they find practical solutions.”
Una Burns, head of advocacy and communications at local homeless charity Novas, said no person should be left out on the streets and that anyone who presents to homeless services will be accommodated, particularly during freezing temperatures.
“There is additional capacity across the city for people seeking emergency homeless accommodation for the duration of the cold spell. If people require accommodation they should ring 1800 606060 and they will be supported to access accommodation,” said Ms Burns.
“Every night, people are accommodated on roll-out beds and couches in communal areas, in response to the protracted weather event.”
