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THE CEO OF the organisation that runs a homeless hostel on Dublin’s Thomas Street has added his voice to the chorus of charities and activists calling for the facility to be kept open.
A group of 16 people – former long-term residents of the Brú Aimsir, supported by protesters from the Irish Housing Network group – staged a protest at the hostel overnight.
Gardaí attended the scene after the occupation protest began – and while protesters described the situation last night as calm, one former resident said they were being asked to leave by the officers, and had been told there were no longer any places for them.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie this morning, a member of the protest group said they intended to maintain their action, and would be speaking with management of the centre later today.
What’s going on?
It was initially announced that the hostel, which can cater for 100 people each night, would close on 30 April.
After a number of groups, including the Peter McVerry Trust, spoke out, the date for the final closure was pushed back to 31 May. However, Dublin City Council said yesterday a ‘wind down’ process would take place leading up to that date.
Residents who had been staying there recently said they were shocked to be told there were no beds for them when they called the Council’s freephone number for emergency accommodation yesterday.
It’s understood some 50 of the 100 beds have been closed, and that 30 of the remaining beds are reserved for people who have entered into an arrangement for medium-term accommodation – meaning there are now only around 20 emergency beds available at the Brú Aimsir.
Dublin City Council has yet to respond to a request for comment from TheJournal.ie today.
Cold weather
The hostel was opened as part of Dublin City Council’s annual Cold Weather Initiative to provide winter beds for the homeless last November.
The building is part of a complex in Dublin 8 owned by the Digital Hub agency – the board of which are appointed by the Minister for Communications. The Council entered into a lease arrangement with the Digital Hub in November to open the hostel over the winter period, and it’s planned the building will be sold once the facility closes down.
The Council said in a statement earlier this week that it was opened last winter with “the specific purpose to have additional capacity over the winter period as a humanitarian response to the major challenge of rough sleeping”.
The statement added that “it was never intended that Brú Aimsir would be a permanent facility”.
Crosscare
Speaking to this website today, the CEO of Crosscare – the Archdiocese of Dublin agency that runs the hostel day-to-day – said that while he understood the facility was only ever meant to be a temporary measure, closing it down made no sense.
“Our view is we would like the place to stay open,” Conor Hickey said.
“It was a cold weather initiative, but things are getting so bad that the idea of closing 100 beds doesn’t make any sense.
We provide good quality services, and we hope that sense will prevail and the service will stay open.
One of the protesters, who gave her name as Carrie, said last night that she had been offered a place in another hostel but that the “conditions are a disgrace” in the other facility.
“The staff here are really good,” she added.
It’s normally a really good hostel – the staff here are great.
Around a hundred protesters, including some former residents of the hostel, took part in a march from Thomas Street to Dublin City Council’s offices at Wood Quay this morning.
Carrying placards and chanting “more homeless beds” the protest finished up under a banner of the Proclamation at the Council HQ.
Speaking ahead of their meeting with hostel management today, one of the protesters still in the Brú said they planned to remain at the facility to bring attention to the issue.
Responding to a query yesterday on whether alternative accommodation would be found for residents at the Brú, the Council said it had “an active programme of property sourcing in place”.
It added:
Efforts are ongoing in this regard and DCC is committed to improving its emergency capacity in this respect.
Is the problem getting worse?
The latest rough sleeper figures for Dublin, released last week, show the capital’s homelessness problem is not improving.
The Council’s homeless executive confirmed that 4,262 of its beds were occupied on the night of the spring count this year, including adults and children. That compares with 3,766 beds occupied on the night of the latest winter count, in November.
At least 102 people were confirmed to be sleeping rough in Dublin in the latest figures, with a further 69 people using the Merchants Quay Ireland Night Café.
As Homeless charity Focus Ireland pointed out last week, that means a minimum of 171 people were without a bed on the night the count took place.
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The statement added that “it was never intended that Brú Aimsir would be a permanent facility”. Of course, homelessness was scheduled by now to suddenly cease to exist.
It’s not really very complicated though. Our entire social support infrastructure including homeless supports have been savaged to pay for a mountain of odious banking debt which has been loaded on to our backs. Capitalism gambled and lost while the working class picks up the tab and it’s all facilitated by our establishment political class.
Oh Jesus, I know you’re probably not wrong but change the record. Even the truth gets boring if it’s being preached every 20 minutes
You don’t represent the working class. The aaa don’t represent the working class. Stop pretending you do.
Interestingly, this decision was taken by DCC – which is controlled by SF propped up by AAA and PBP.
So, Wally, are you saying that your party’s agenda is to close homeless shelters “to pay for a mountain of odious banking debt”?
Richard,
The AAA most certainly don’t prop up SF and disagree with them on many fundamental issues e.g. the water charges boycott. So no Richard. AAA policy is to repudiate all illegitimate banker debts and to invest the money saved in social services.
@ David….. I agree. His posts do make some sense but being bombarded with them every post is too much. Wall you are already preaching to the choir and those that aren’t listening will never listen.
Richard…..of the 63 seats on DCC….SF have 15, and AAA and PBP have 5 seats between them….making a grand total of 20.
FF, FG and Labour have 25 seats.
How does that work out for SF control?
The elected councillors in Dublin City Councils and all the local councils in Ireland have very, very little power. The city or county manager and central government get to make all the big decisions. It’s great that Left and Sinn Féin candidates have been elected to so many seats in Dublin City Council but their ability to represent the electorate within the council is drastically limited.
Cholly. They make up more than FF and FG.
Wally, Sinn Fein want to abolish Water Charges, as do the AAA, PBPA, FF, Social Democrats, Workers Party! Why do you consider your positions any different?
The lease is up on the property so something else should have really been put in place for them before this happened. .
The situation will only deterioate, until thers is an all out political Revolution.
No its not complicated. Build more social housing and get the property market better regulated
Em what about normal housing? Theres many that arent eligible for social housing but don’t earn enough to be considered for a morgatge. Some people want to own a place that theyve worked hard for.
Surely providing more social housing would free up other houses where people receive rent allowance etc. This in turn would help to stabilise prices and make purchasing a home more affordable.
Would somebody willingly move from somewhere they’re currently getting rent allowance to social housing though, Matthew?
“Property market betterb regulated “
People dont want to rent a place. Lack of security. How about government build houses that people can buy, then use the profit to build social housing.
Sorry Shawn, I meant that when people who get RA move into longer term housing, the properties would eventually find their way onto the open sales market if there was oversupply of properties. The government should certainly make sure that affordable houses are built too.
James, I presume the majority would, especially considering the security of tenure.
Shawn O Ceallaghan that would be doing things right
This is state negligence and criminaly unjust
Explain?
I have often wondered whether people been allowed to purchase their council house has led to the shortage id social housing.
No, not building social houses has led to a shortage of social housing.
Both are symptoms of the same problem.
Yes sadly it has Julie that stock was never replaced which is now caused the problem
This should not be allowed until alternative accommodation is provided at the very least. Talk about making a bad situation worse.
This type of stuff cannot be allowed to continue – Very concerning … Read the description on the YouTube link and pay particular attention at approx 0.47 seconds – https://youtu.be/huXDlLFQ4Aw
Brown envelopes. The new city development plan has this area reined at 28 Mts high plus basements that’s 7 or 8 floors. More Brown envelopes from developers to city manager. Follow the money like the city manager before him — it’s all about money (personal or family money).
How much is the building worth. I’ll put up 100 euro. It’s worth crowd funding
Maybe Simon Coveney should talk to the City Council. ..
Maybe the Council is actually more interested in the international market and attracting millionaires who’ll buy houses or apartments that they’ll leave empty most of the year . I don’t understand the strategy here. Is it about competing with other big cities? Kicking ppl out emergency accommodations; selling this bit of land instead of building on it and getting a ROI in a flash. There seems to be something much more “valuable” at stake here than accommodation for ppl who live here.
People were very quiet about the barriers put up to stop the homeless down near Tara Street I recall. They wont help the problem in a rush thats for sure, but they can sure as hell try to hide it !
The agency that run the hostel are from the Archdiocese, the people of this country are such hypocrites, rely on the church when it is convenient, in 10 years time there will be a lynch mob after them
I could cry at the state of this Country, nobody yo help these people. What a great Country we live in NOT.
How is it complicated either leave the doors open or closed..
have your say