Frank Devoy and his three children live, like many other families, in a bed-and-breakfast. They moved into a single room, in a "nice enough place" on Dublin's South Circular Road, last Thursday morning after spending two nights in other B&Bs and a night in a car.
Their situation is particularly stressful because, between trying to find a place for his young family to sleep, Frank must make sure his eldest daughter, Geraldine (13), gets the aggressive chemotherapy she needs.
The Dubliner brought his young family back from England in June after his wife, Collette (37), died of cancer. "I had no supports in England and my sister-in-law, Margaret, was concerned that the kids come back here".
Sitting in a city-centre coffee shop at the weekend, he introduces two of his children, Daniel (12) and Jodie (10), explaining Geraldine is "too tired" to come in. She suffers from Sjogrens Syndrome and is due for her next bout of chemotherapy at Temple Street Children's Hospital this week.
The syndrome, as outlined in her referral letter from London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, is a "severe auto-immune condition". It affects Geraldine's lungs, muscles, digestive system and blood cells, making her "extremely tired and unwell". Her joints are afflicted with acute arthritis.
"She started losing weight and complaining of pains about two years ago," explains Frank. "She's been getting chemo now for about 18 months. A big problem is she's losing her hair. You know how girls love their hair," he smiles.
"I talked to my GP in Ballybrack about her and he said the thing I didn't want to hear: her life span will be short. And to look at her, God, she's a bundle of joy."
Frank and Collette moved to London 13 years ago "for work and just to get away". He worked as a painter and decorator, though gave up work a few years ago when his wife became too ill to look after three young children.
He brought the children to live with his sister-in-law in Ballybrack two months ago. However, she has two adult daughters, one of whom has a baby, and things were "too cramped and tense".
They moved out three weeks ago, into the house of a friend. Last week they left there.
He has applied for local authority housing in all four Dublin council areas and looked into renting privately, but the cheapest accommodation he could find was £900 a month. "I couldn't afford to pay that and a £900 deposit on the money."
His first move when they left the friend's house was to call the Northern Area Health Board's freephone line for homeless people.
"They took details regarding the children and asked me to get my own B&B. They told me to get a cheque for £100 at the employment exchange in Werburgh Street."
Unable to find a B&B for less than £120 Frank rang the freephone number that evening to be told it was too late to book somewhere that day.
"At that stage the children were tired being dragged all around town," he says. "Geraldine is meant to have a sleep in the afternoon."
The family slept that night in Frank's car, in the Phoenix Park. It was cramped but not too cold.
The next day he called Focus Point, where a key worker helped him get through to the freephone line. He was booked for one night into a B&B on the South Circular Road.
The next morning it was a social worker in Temple Street Children's Hospital who helped him get into another B&B in Gardiner Place. Again the family was booked in for one night and again the next morning Frank had to phone the freephone number to ask for a room.
"I said I couldn't understand why they couldn't book us in for a few nights. The woman went away and came back and said she'd booked us in to a single room. We're there now until we have to leave."
Eventually, he'd like to get back to work, but for now he gets £131.10 a week (Single Parent's Allowance) and £210 a month (Children's Allowance).
"I do get depressed at night, but to be honest I haven't had time to sit down," he says. "I'm always doing something. We haven't, none of us, had time to grieve for their mummy but we cry together sometimes."
The children were attending school in Loughlinstown, 10 miles across the city, last year. "I'll have to sort that now. I haven't even thought about it yet."
Asked how the way he has been treated makes him feel, he says he "just [has] to cope".
"They keep me going," he smiles over at the children.
"My main concern at the moment is to get a home for them. I just want somewhere stable to get on with life."