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The issue of single homeless people is steadily getting worse, and ambitious measures must be taken to provide these people with a roof over their heads.
That’s according to Aontú Cllr Sarah Beasley who says that just 10 single people accommodation provided by Limerick’s local authority in the first quarter of this year ,according to figures released to her by the council and there are 190 single people currently being accommodated.
She says:
“Single homeless people quite often have complex needs and they are a cohort of people who often require quite a bit of help, Many of these single people don’t have the means to rent privately as prices are escalating at such a rate, they may not have a family network or support, friendships may be fractured and sadly they fall between the cracks. I am very concerned that so many older single people are falling into homelessness and I fear this is going to worsen”.
“We must think laterally round this issue and come up with imaginative solutions”
“I have been saying for some time that Limerick’s beautiful Georgian houses could be brought back to life and provide much needed homes for this group of people who are finding it increasingly harder to put a roof over their heads”.
“These three storey properties are absolutely stunning; they are synonymous with Limerick and currently many of them are vacant and some indeed are falling into disrepair. They could be done up to provide one-bedroom homes that are so badly needed. Not everyone fits into the ‘traditional ‘family unit and they don’t need or want two- or three-bedroom properties. They can’t afford them for one thing, they are too big for them and these are some of the people that are at constant risk of homelessness”.
“Housing for single older people is a ticking timebomb. These people may have separated, they may have remained single, they may be on low incomes, they may not have a strong familial or social network, they are getting older, and they simply don’t have suitable housing for their needs. We have a severe shortage of one-bedroom units, and this is going to come back to haunt us if we don’t grab the issue now and take action”.
“We are an increasingly aging society. It is estimated that by 2051 one in four people will be over the age of 65. The current life expectancy is around 84 years. We don’t have a good record of planning for these eventualities and now is the time to change that. Our older people who have worked to build up this country deserve nothing less”.
“I am a passionate advocate for the homeless. I have been providing food, clothes, support, and friendship to Limerick’s homeless for well over four years now with my Aontú homeless outreach, so I have a good handle on the situation. Each night there are around 40 rough sleepers on our streets in Limerick. This is an absolute injustice to human beings, it is no way to ‘live’. These beautiful Georgian homes should be done up, not just to regenerate Limerick City but to ‘regenerate ‘people who are desperately worried as to how and where they will find suitable accommodation for their very particular circumstances”.
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