Homeless individuals describe dire circumstances as Belfast support centre reopens

“I wouldn’t wish this life on anyone, it’s awful. I don’t even know who I am anymore.” The Welcome Organisation’s drop-in centre, previously headquartered in west Belfast, was compelled to cease operations following an arson attack in July. It took a period of five months to secure new premises at Centenary House in Belfast City Centre. BBC News NI spent an evening at the new facility to observe the support the team provides to those in need. Among those encountered was Seanín, who described the services as “lifesaving.” She stated, “I would be lost without the Welcome.” Seanín has experienced homelessness for half a year and resides in emergency housing. She contends with addiction, utilizing prescription drugs, cocaine, and heroin. She explained that “drugs help you stay warm, they help you get up, they help you sleep.” Seanín attends the drop-in centre daily, expressing that she “wouldn’t wish this life on anyone” and no longer recognizes herself. She further remarked, “This is the only place I have. I have nowhere else to go. I don’t have a family home. This is my family.” Seanín’s situation is shared by others, including Callum, who also utilizes the service. He has experienced homelessness for several years and frequently sleeps on the streets. He articulated, “You’re not even living. You feel like nobody cares. People see you walking around with a sleeping bag and think you’re a piece of dirt on the floor.” Callum indicated that he smokes Spice (a synthetic cannabis) to “forget he is homeless.” He added, “I don’t want to live like this. I am under serious stress worrying that I won’t get a bed. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.” According to the charity, homelessness support services across Northern Ireland are experiencing “extreme pressure” as they assist “people that have more complex needs than ever before.” Susan Duncan, representing The Welcome Organisation, stated that “rough sleeping is increasing year on year in Belfast.” She also noted that the Housing Executive is facing unprecedented levels of pressure. Duncan informed BBC News NI, “Over the years the need has grown and grown. We are seeing more and more complex clients, more and more people that are chronically homeless, more and more drug use, more and more injecting drug use.” The staff are managing highly intricate requirements, and the escalation in both homelessness and drug consumption within the city has intensified the challenges of their work. Susan observed, “The types of drugs people are using has changed over the last number of years.” The recently acquired premises are not intended as a long-term resolution, and the organisation aims to relocate to a larger establishment. Susan commented, “We’ve had to shrink our facilities instead of grow them and that has been difficult.” She continued, “We’ve had to adapt and redesign how we deliver our services to people. Before we could accommodate as many people that presented at our drop-in service. Now we can support up to 12 people at any one time.” The Welcome Organisation indicated that the relocation of its premises has impacted those who utilize its services. “If you can imagine, you’ve nowhere to go overnight and then during the day you don’t have a place to come and sit and just let your head rest. That can’t be good for anyone’s mental health whenever you don’t get a break from being homeless.” The nature of the service has evidently undergone some alteration. The current support hub is considerably smaller than its former site on Townsend Street in west Belfast. Susan, who serves as the head of operations, mentioned the absence of a space where individuals could “sit around, relax and have a place of safety during the day.” She described the current operational model: “It’s very much, come in, get your needs met and once that is done you need to move on to make space for the next person.” Despite these limitations, individuals continued to arrive, indicating a busy evening at the support hub. Grainia Long, Chief Executive of the Housing Executive, confirmed their collaboration with the Welcome Organisation and expressed satisfaction that an “interim location” had been secured. She stated, “Services have been successfully transitioned and the Hub has been in operation since early December.” Long added, “It is difficult to replicate the full range of services offered at The Welcome Organisation previous location and, therefore, this is an interim arrangement while other options are being actively sought.” Ms Long affirmed that the Housing Executive intends to maintain its support while efforts to find a permanent facility are underway. Although the Welcome Organisation centre’s drop-in services conclude at 18:00 GMT, the staff’s efforts extend beyond these hours. Outreach teams deliver crucial assistance to individuals on the streets, and it is apparent that these teams are operating under considerable strain. Susan noted that the situation has prompted discussions regarding the city’s requirements to address these issues and assist individuals with their complex needs. She elaborated, “The ideal scenario is that we can get a facility that incorporates the housing support alongside health support, alongside addiction support, alongside the complex needs team so that everybody can work together so that people aren’t having to go all around the city in order to get their needs met.”