'High time for action': Cold weather crisis sees Cork homeless shelters 'packed to capacity'

Homelessness services across Cork are making use of any available floor space in over-capacity shelters to keep people off the streets during the cold weather.

Sophie Johnston, from Cork Simon, told The Echo: “Our emergency shelter has been packed to capacity for some time.

“Since the weather turned cold, we have been doing all we can to create extra space and accommodation for even more people.

“When the weather takes a turn like this, we try to create space with things like extra mattresses in the Night Light Centre, couches in our high-support houses, a sofa or free floor space in the rec rooms in our shelters — any available space where someone can bed down for the night.

“It’s far from ideal, but at least we are getting people in. It does mean we are drawing on extra staffing. Our Night Light service is normally a night-service only. But, at the moment, people have full access during the day also.”

Ms Johnston said: “A lot more people in a confined space makes for a challenging situation. It affects staff, but mainly it affects our service users ... it’s emergency measures on top of what’s already emergency accommodation.”

Dire situation

Ms Johnston said the situation highlights how dire Ireland’s housing crisis has become.

“We already have huge numbers of people using our services,” Ms Johnston said.

“There are far too many people who have been stuck in emergency accommodation for far too long, because housing is just not available for people to move on to.

“A situation like this highlights it all the more: The monthly homelessness figures are absolutely terrible, and they’re only going in one direction. In October 2022, we hit 500 adults a month across Cork in emergency accommodation.

“The November 2024 figures, released last Friday, show that has risen to 589 — so we’re edging up towards the 600 mark. It’s high time for action,” Ms Johnston said.

Susceptible

People who have drugs and alcohol in their system are particularly susceptible to hypothermia, and Ms Johnston explained that Cork Simon teams are working hard to encourage everyone to avail of their shelters.

“We’d be really concerned for people rough sleeping anyway. It can take a significant toll on people’s health, but we are especially concerned in this weather.

“Our outreach team are out on the streets, encouraging people to come indoors.

“If there is a reluctance, they encourage them as best they can to come to our day centre. It’s open from 9am to 1pm, and they can get some hot food, have a shower, and engage with staff.”

She said that, if anyone sees someone on the streets, they can call the Cork Simon emergency shelter at 021 4278728 and ask for outreach services.

Outreach team

“They can tell the outreach team the location of the person, and the team possibly would be aware of them, but they possibly would not be, and that’s invaluable information. They will then go out and try to make contact with the person and encourage them.

“We would really be concerned for the welfare of anybody who is outdoors, so our outreach team is actively looking for people still out there.

“Weather like this just really highlights, again, the absolutely critical need to turn things around.”

Ms Johnston added: “I think we’re constantly hearing that housing and homelessness is the top priority. But, in conditions like this, when people’s minds do turn to those sleeping rough, the crisis has to be at the forefront of the government formation talks that are happening at the moment.

“People need permanent roofs over their heads.”