BY JEROME HUGHES
IN what is a massive blow to local homeless services, the North West Simon Community will close 19 apartments in Donegal that were being used to provide emergency accommodation.
Having run out of money, work is ongoing to try and transfer the charity’s properties to another approved housing body or Donegal County Council.
The organisation’s most recent figures show it provided support to 122 adults and 50 children in County Donegal during 2022.
However, Simon’s operations in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo are closing and the charity is entering receivership.
“There is no hope at this stage. We basically couldn’t keep going and now we’ve run out of road. Our campaign to keep the service going has fallen on deaf ears,” said Donegal TD Thomas Pringle who is Chairperson of North West Simon.
“The government doesn’t care about homelessness. It doesn’t care about homeless services. They’ve ignored what has been happening here. Homeless prevention doesn’t figure on their radar,” added Deputy Pringle.
Established in 2005, and with a staff of seven, North West Simon Community has been providing social housing in Donegal and Leitrim, and early intervention and homelessness prevention services in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo.
The average monthly cost of running the North West Simon Community was €25,000. A variety of fundraising activities provide, on average, about 64% of its operating income.
“Fundraising wasn’t the issue. State funding was only around 16% whereas most voluntary housing bodies get around 60%. That’s the problem. There hasn’t been support from government and homeless forums,” according to Deputy Pringle.
The Independent Donegal TD insists the announcement has not come out of the blue and will not shock the political establishment.
“I raised this at leaders’ questions in the Dáil last year. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Housing Minister O’Brien are all aware of it. All the politicians in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo are also fully aware,” he concluded.
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