Threshold kept 1,100 Cork families out of homelessness last year

A new report by Threshold reveals that it prevented more than 1,100 households from becoming homeless in Cork last year, prompting the housing charity to call for an increase in social housing.

Its 2024 annual report shows that Threshold also assisted more than 19,400 households last year across Ireland, with tenancy termination the most common issue for those seeking support.

The figure includes 2,283 households in Cork city and 1,781 households in Cork county, while the charity said it also prevented a total of 1,113 households from entering homelessness across Cork.

Support

In Cork, Threshold’s access housing unit provided tenancy sustainment support to 40 households and supported 46 households in emergency accommodation with a view to securing a home; of which 14 households were resettled into secure tenancies.

Their Cork tenancy sustainment support service provided tailored support to 40 households, comprised of 47 adults and 30 children, whose main needs included budgeting due to the cost of living, mental and physical health needs often linked to poor property standards, independent-living skills, and property maintenance.

Among those referred, 63% were single people and 33% were one-parent families.

Also during the year, the tenancy sustainment protocol, operating in Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Galway city, and Cork city, secured rent-supplement uplifts for 56 households, with 86 adults and 64 children helped.

As in previous years, tenancy termination continued to be among the most common query Threshold received in 2024. In total, 37% of cases opened in 2024 were for clients who had received a notice of termination.

Significant increase

During 2024, the charity opened 14,514 new cases nationally, a significant increase on 2023 when 12,000 new cases were opened. It also closed 6,327 cases where renters had been at risk of homelessness, preventing 67% of these households from entering homelessness services.

Threshold Southern regional services manager, Edel Conlon, told The Echo: “Looking back, 2024 was a year that required the staff of Threshold’s Cork office to do everything in their power to prevent as many renters as possible entering homelessness."

Notices of termination

“The top issue staff in the Cork office had to support tenants on was notices of termination. The average rent in Cork city for a three-bed house is now €2,279, a double room without an en-suite will cost you €767, rents which are unaffordable to most,” said Ms Conlon.

“It is important that as many households as possible in Cork do not find themselves losing their homes and face the challenge of sourcing new, unaffordable accommodation.”

“In 2024, we opened an outreach clinic in Bandon to reach those in West Cork to support tenants with their housing issues and prevent households losing their home.

“It is extremely important that tenants reach out to Threshold and get correct information, guidance and representation with their housing issue.

“Our helpline, 1800 454454, is open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday, and appointments to meet a housing adviser face-to-face can also be made by ringing the helpline.”