CHILDHOOD trauma led Stacey Quin to numb her pain with drugs when she was just 14 years old. By 18 the Southill woman was pregnant with her first child, addicted to heroin, and sleeping on the streets.
Stacey hit rock bottom and had ratcheted up a raft of petty theft convictions.
“By the time I was 18 I was hooked on heroin, I was doing my leaving cent and I was sick with aches and pain in my body,” Ms Quin told this reporter.
Now, aged 37 and a mother to four children, Stacey is seven years drug-free, living under a roof, and helping others back from the brink.
Currently in her fourth year in college studying social studies, Stacey is also a support worker with national housing charity and drug support service NOVAS, which on World Homeless Day (Friday October 10) launched its annual report for 2024.
“I went through years of trauma, homelessness, and things only began to change when I met people and services that didn’t judge me,” Stacey said.
With her life and her children on the line, she engaged in treatment services at Ana Liffey and Coolmine, taking control of the addiction that enslaved her.
“I learned about harm reduction, self-worth, and community. Those experiences helped me slowly rebuild my confidence and see that I had something to offer,” Stacey said.
“Now, I work as a relief worker with NOVAS, and I’m proud to be part of a team where I support people who are where I once was — facing addiction, trauma, and homelessness.
“I use my lived experience to connect with the service users, to show them that change is possible, and to remind them that they’re not alone.
“Working with NOVAS has shown me the power of compassion. It’s not just about providing housing — it’s about building trust, safety, and hope.”
NOVAS revealed at the launch of its 2024 annual report that it helped 6,300 people last year – a 160 per cent increase over the past decade.
It said that Limerick, where NOVAS has its headquarters, is one of the worst hit areas nationally and is experiencing a “surge” in demand for emergency accommodation and housing.
“We cannot meet demand, it’s gravely concerning”, said Una Burns, NOVAS head of advocacy and communications.
Burns also warned of a rising tide of people, particularly women, currently experiencing “precarious living conditions and rough sleeping” in the Treaty City.
“There is about 60 people rough sleeping in Limerick City at the moment, and 38 of those are women,” she said.
“That is really unprecedented, and it is unusually in the broader national landscape. So, we definitely have a rising issue of women experiencing homelessness and addiction – it’s extraordinarily high.”
Many, but not all, who are sleeping rough have come to Limerick from other counties due to the availability of cheaper drugs, including crack cocaine, benzodiazepines, heroin, cocaine, and cannabis.
NOVAS said that, among single adults entering its emergency accommodation in 2024, 46 per cent came directly from other homeless services, 20 per cent had been rough sleeping, and seven per cent arrived from a hospital.
Only four per cent had been living in private, social, or family housing before entering emergency accommodation, “which highlights the entrenched nature of homelessness for many”, NOVAS said.
Family homelessness also deepened during 2024, the report showed, with more than 4,500 children residing in hotel rooms, homeless hubs, and other temporary accommodation.
NOVAS supported more than 1,400 children through housing, emergency accommodation and tailored family supports, which it said was the highest number in the organisation’s history.
Ms Burns says more funding is needed to expand NOVAS’s operations, including its nightly street outreach service, accommodation for vulnerable women, family supports, and its trauma-informed services for those in addiction.
Despite “ongoing pressure” across its services in Limerick, Dublin, Kerry, Tipperary, Clare, and Cork, NOVAS said it housed 1,419 people, delivered emergency accommodation to those in acute need, and supported young people to build pathways to safety and independence across 2024.
Despite it all, Ms Burns remains hopeful, saying that “the statistics are grim but we are a wealthy country and we can solve homelessness with the right policies, and the will, and Stacey’s story is an inspiration to all of us”.
Quinn, who is proof of that, concluded: “I was a person who was literally living on the streets, and now, being able to go to work and give my landlord rent, and to be able to give back to people using the services like I did before, is a good feeling.”
