ONE OF the country's biggest homeless organisations has warned that its services are operating at full capacity and demand for support is likely to increase over the coming months.
The Simon Communities of Ireland says the economic slump means increasing numbers will find themselves at risk of homelessness over the coming months.
"With the country in the grip of recession, Simon is feeling the pinch and our services are at capacity," said Patrick Burke, chief executive of the Simon Communities of Ireland.
"Now, more than ever, as increased numbers fall on hard times, we need to ensure that the services are in place to prevent people from falling through the net and becoming homeless."
Mr Burke said all of the trigger factors for homelessness were evident: unemployment, rising poverty, lengthening housing waiting lists. "A lot of people are resorting to borrowing or getting support from family and friends at the moment, so we're not seeing the major increase in numbers yet. But as they exhaust those options of support, this will be a very real danger facing us next year," he said. The Simon Communities of Ireland has expanded the range and level of services available throughout the country in recent time. Almost 5,000 people used its services last year, up from 2,350 the previous year.
However, it faces a serious challenge in finding sufficient funding to maintain and develop services this year and next.
"We're anticipating significant shortfalls at end of this year," Mr Burke said. "We're appealing for public support, and people have been exceptionally good to the Simon Community in the past."
The issue of public funding for homeless services in general next year is still under discussion.
While funding pledged by the Minister with responsibility for housing Michael Finneran will result in an increase of about 5 per cent, there is no firm funding commitment from the Health Service Executive for 2009.
Donations can be made on the website www.simon.ie