The Christmas season is always a poignant time for services supporting people who are homeless. A time of togetherness that also leaves many feeling lonely. It can be a particularly challenging time for people who cannot be with family, where connections have been lost or were never there. It is extraordinarily difficult where people do not have a home of their own, or where their home is at risk. All year round, Galway Simon Community work with people in these circumstances, and sadly we are working with more and more people every year.
From January to October this year, Galway Simon worked with 746 households, single people and families. A total of 868 adults, and 527 children. Some of those people had the support of Galway Simon at a time in their lives that was really difficult. Many will never tell anyone that they were in the position where they needed homeless services and equally, there are people for whom Galway Simon Community is a very central part of their lives and being part of the community is really important to them.
Not everyone who is homeless is visible on the streets, and there are ever increasing numbers of people living in very insecure situations, relying on friends, acquaintances, and extended family. There are people moving from couch to couch, in emergency and transitional housing services, and even in hospitals and care settings, that do not have somewhere to call home. There are countless people in our community whose homelessness is hidden and concealed to the public eye.
Over the last 42 years, as Galway Simon services have grown and developed, we have helped thousands of people to leave homelessness behind for good and to live well independently. We began to focus on the importance of developing services that would help to stop people coming into homelessness in the first place. We have a very strong emphasis on prevention. We ensure that we continue to be there for people after they have moved on from homelessness so that they can maintain their tenancies and avoid going back into homelessness. For those who may be at risk of becoming homeless, we do everything in our power to help them to find a new home; to prevent them from going into emergency accommodation and experiencing the trauma that comes with this. In 2020 Galway Simon supported 95 households, single people and families, move into independent accommodation.
Need has expanded
The need for Galway Simon services has expanded dramatically in the past 10 years – we have experienced a 323% increase in the demand for our services over that time and we are needed now more than ever by many more in our community. The backdrop of this has been the enormous increase in homelessness arising from the housing crisis which has exploded in recent years. We now find ourselves working with people who could never have imagined that they would need our support.
People who live ordinary lives, with jobs, with children in schools and ties to the community where they were living, until they receive a notice to quit and then come to discover they cannot find anywhere to live that they can afford. We are also working with many people becoming homeless late in life because the place where they have happily rented for 10, 15, 20 years is being sold. The shock and trauma of discovering they are in danger of becoming homeless can be devastating. We work with them to develop solutions to their problems and help them to deal with the sense of insecurity and worries about their futures.
What has happened over the last 10 years is unprecedented. Increasing numbers of people have fallen through the safety nets that are available to people and have found themselves having to reach out to homeless services for help.
For many people facing homelessness, their personal networks have been exhausted or were absent for much of their lives. Everyone’s story is unique, but the reasons that they need our services are sometimes very painful.
The lack of safety and shelter takes its toll on people, and is often compounded by stress which can contribute to mental health difficulties. Some, but not all, become dependent on alcohol and drugs and this also has a significant impact on their health. These are the people that the founding volunteers of Galway Simon Community were determined to help.
Most people who have difficulties with mental health or addiction do not live their distress in the public eye. They often have family support, or people who care for them and can support them to recover, with the help of dedicated services. However, it is when people do not have effective supports that they can become homeless; when there is insecurity about having a home or having safe shelter, and their difficulties become amplified.
Listening
Those who work in Galway Simon listen to and advocate for those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Galway Simon understands that people who experience long-term homelessness or rough sleeping are likely to be survivors of significant adversity in their early lives.
Poverty, family breakdown, traumatic events, bullying and violence are critical experiences that can severely impact the course of someone’s life. In long-term homeless services, we meet people who have endured profound loss and insecurity that have shattered their confidence and ability to feel that they belong. Where people have experienced homelessness for significant periods of time in their adult lives, their health inevitably suffers, and many develop chronic illnesses that can be debilitating.
Sometimes our clients have substance misuse issues, and to respond to these clients we offer multi-disciplinary supports. We have a specialist Substance Misuse Counselling Service, a Community Detox Service and a Recovery Service among other services. These services are critical to clients of all ages, in all of our services. People use substances to get some relief from difficult emotions and challenging situations which can lead them to develop a dependency on those substances. Our addiction support services are tailored to the needs of people who are living in very chaotic circumstances.
Galway Simon has always committed to being a service that can offer meaningful support and care to those who have experienced the deepest exclusion. Whilst the orphanages and industrial schools have been closed for a long time, we still work with people who were placed in these institutions.
Nowadays we work with a lot of people coming from the care system. The oldest people Galway Simon work with are in their 70s, and the youngest are just 18. In the last year alone, there has been a 35% increase in the number of 18-25 year olds supported by Galway Simon.
Over the years, we have seen how young people who have been in care can be particularly vulnerable as they move to independence. At Galway Simon, we meet young people who have endured profound loss, rejection and displacement, and who need systematic help if they are going to avoid homelessness. For those who do become homeless at a young age, it can come with huge costs in terms of long-term health and well-being. In 2016, we set up a dedicated Youth Service with 8 units of accommodation and dedicated support services to help young people find stability in the world. In 2020, we increased this to 12 units. When young people move on from the service, support remains available. Since 2016, our Youth Service has worked with over 150 young people.
Motivated
Some young people that we work with are very motivated and ambitious, they just need stability to get on with their plans for independent life. We are often in awe of the resilience of our clients, despite the trauma that they have endured. Some really struggle to process the difficult and complex emotions they are left with because of the lack of safety they have experienced in their lives.
Whilst our aim is that our clients will move on to live independent lives and make their own choices, we know that upsets can happen along the way, and where people don’t have other support systems we will continue to provide support to overcome any setbacks.
There is significant problem solving that goes into the services operated by Galway Simon. Our commitment to people is to be compassionate and competent in our efforts to find solutions to their very human needs. Sometimes the difficulties that our clients are experiencing bring them into contact with various services but they can fall between the cracks. Our work can be very much focused on helping people to get the correct help at the right time. When this effort bears fruit, and people with years of stress and not belonging secure their own homes, the reward is priceless. Sometimes people kiss the walls when they move into their own accommodation, sometimes they cry, sometimes they really don’t believe it.
Not everyone we work with gets to live happily ever after. Many will spend a lifetime struggling with the rejection and loss that they suffered in their early lives, many find stability and have huge sadness about what they lost, and what it cost them. We know their stories, and some break our hearts. We will continue to be there to support the people who need us.
People supported by Galway Simon Community:
Paul’s Story:
In April 2020, Paul was referred to Galway Simon’s Housing First Service, and offered housing and support. Paul was married and had a very successful career in America for many years, then alcohol addiction started to take hold of his life. For fifteen years, with ongoing addiction issues and ill health, Paul was entrenched in homelessness as he lived in and out of hostels throughout Ireland.
Paul was known to Galway Simon’s staff and he was approached about the Housing First Service. With the help of the Housing First team, Paul resettled to his new home, an apartment in a secluded cul-de-sac, where he has paintings on the wall, a trellis up for flowers and AstroTurf on his balcony.
For Paul, it took a little while to adjust to living in a house again but he relishes the fact he’s not homeless anymore. Despite health concerns, Paul is doing very well and continues to liaise with Galway Simon and other services, while maintaining his sobriety.
Mike’s Story:
Mike had worked hard all his life but when the Covid 19 pandemic hit, he found himself with no job, no home and no routine. At the same time his sister was terminally ill. His mental and physical health really suffered and things started to unravel in a way that was out of his control and Mike became homeless.
He eventually turned to Galway Simon for help and thankfully we were able to provide him with temporary accommodation which meant he avoided the stress of emergency accommodation.
Mike was provided with the support he needed and after some time, Galway Simon were able to help Mike to find a place of his own.
Aoife’s Story:
Aoife left the foster care system at 18 and after completing her Leaving Certificate; she was offered a place on a PLC course and secured rented accommodation in Galway.
However, she found out at short notice that her landlord was selling the house and with nothing saved, she had nowhere to go. Her mental health was also suffering at the time due a recent traumatic experience. Without any family to turn to for support, Aoife reached out to Galway Simon Community.
Fortunately, Galway Simon was able to give Aoife a place to stay in our Youth Service. While staying at our Youth Service, Aoife received many supports including counselling, healthcare support, and other life skills, all of which provided her with the tools she needed to live independently.
Aoife was also encouraged to continue on her pathway in education. Since reaching out to Galway Simon, Aoife has successfully completed her undergraduate degree, is currently doing a master’s degree, and plans to pursue a PhD.
*Please note all of our clients’ names have been changed to protect their identity, however their stories are real.
