FIVE Limerick families were made homeless on the same day last week as more distressed mortgage holders join those most at risk of losing their family homes.
On Tuesday June 24, the five families, including 13 children, found themselves in crisis with the threat of eviction imminent. The families presented at Novas Initiatives’ Intensive Family Support (IFS) unit at Mungret Street.
“We had been working with these families and knew they were at risk, but this is unprecedented to have five families in crisis due to homelessness on the same day in Limerick,” said Novas spokeswoman Una Burns.
“These people have found themselves homeless for different reasons from landlords selling their properties to families falling into arrears with payments and even anti-social behaviour,” she explained.
In conjunction with the Limerick Homeless Persons Centre, the voluntary agency are now supporting the families involved to help them find accommodation. They have already managed to secure accommodation for one of the families and have negotiated with the landlord of another family to have their lease reactivated.
However, the charity say lack of affordable housing and high rent prices are only adding to the current housing crisis in the city.
Novas has already been forced to place ten families including eight children in bed and breakfast accommodation since the beginning of 2014 because of lack of suitable housing. The service has also been working with a further eight families and three pregnant women who are described as the ‘hidden homeless’.
The charity’s Intensive Family Support (IFS) and out of hours services have also been inundated with calls for help from families at risk of homelessness in Limerick since the start of the year.
