The Simon Community yesterday expressed concern about the growing numbers of homeless people in Cork and the ability of agencies to meet the demand for shelter places next year if current trends continue.
Cork Simon director Colette Kelleher confirmed that the organisation had again teamed up with St Vincent de Paul to jointly operate a temporary cold weather centre in the city over the Christmas period with support from Cork City Council.
She said that Cork-based property development company Frinailla Developments is again making a city centre premises available which will provide emergency shelter each night for some 30 people who are living rough in Cork.
Ms Kelleher said that the temporary centre is necessary again this year because there isn't sufficient emergency accommodation in the city, and she paid tribute to the council and Frinailla Developments for their support.
"The accommodation is basic and temporary, but we hope to be able to offer everyone who needs it over Christmas, a bed for a night in a place that is warm, welcoming and secure. We should be doing that on an ongoing basis." The temporary shelter allows Simon offer a further 30 beds to homeless people in Cork in addition to the 103 beds it offers in its other facilities, but Ms Kelleher warned that the situation looks like worsening in 2008.
"Right now our resources are stretched to the limit responding to everyone who needs our support. This year we've turned away as many people as we've accommodated in our emergency shelter," she said.
Ms Kelleher explained that up until September some 378 people had availed of Simon's emergency shelter on Anderson's Quay, but that the agency had been forced to turn away a total of 385 people over the same nine-month period.
"More people than ever are using our day centre. We're seeing more and more people staying long-term in emergency accommodation because there's nowhere else for them to go. We're facing serious challenges in our efforts to reach out to everyone who needs our support."
Ms Kelleher said that since 2004 Cork Simon has matched every euro the Government has allocated towards the funding of care staff at the community's emergency shelter, day centre and high-support residential houses.
"The rock solid support of the business community and the people of Cork has helped us do that, said Ms Kelleher, adding that this year alone Cork Simon mobilised over 450 committed volunteers who give their time and energy to the community on an ongoing basis.
"The onus is now on the Government to honour their commitments, match the tremendous commitment and goodwill here in Cork and build on the excellent progress we've made to date. We're doing our bit - it's up to the Government to help us take the next steps."
