Depaul have announced that they are opening a new emergency night service in Dublin.
The service will open this month, located on Little Britain Street, and will provide 67 beds for those at risk of homelessness.
The Depaul service plans to offer:
40 beds for single men
12 beds for single women
Five beds for couples
Five ‘high dependency’ beds for men/women with high support needs
The service will run from 6.30pm every day, accepting referrals from the Central Placement Service, managed by Dublin City Council’s Homeless Services Section.
It will be closed between 10am and 6.30pm, and those staying at the hostel will receive a light meal in the evenings, breakfast in the mornings, showers and some laundry facilities.
Health supports will also be available at the hostel, and trained volunteers will offer social and recreational activities such as photography, music, art, etc.
Ms Kerry Anthony, CEO of Depaul, said: “The Rough Sleeper Count released by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive shows that there were 142 people sleeping rough on one night in Dublin, plus another 77 people using the Merchants Quay Night Café.
“The number of people sleeping rough in Dublin has increased by an alarming 56% since last winter, when there were 91 people on the streets. This is by any metric a tragic situation and these beds are a vital emergency response.”
Ms Anthony believes that the new service will try to help people take steps to get out of homelessness, but the Government needs to help by providing more housing.
Ms Anthony added: “We urgently need new housing to be brought on board in order to achieve this goal.
“We urge the Government to accelerate its efforts to stimulate the provision of social and affordable housing in Ireland as, without bricks and mortar, it will be impossible to lessen the number of people coming through our doors.”