Concerns raised over increase in number of homeless women in Limerick

ALMOST every homeless woman in Limerick, who has been supported by Novas, has experienced domestic or gender-based violence or coercive control at some point in their life.

This is according to Una Burns, head of advocacy and communications at Novas, a voluntary organisation which helps those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

“Women are at significant risk when they rough sleep. Like anyone who is street homeless, they are continually exposed to adverse weather, particularly at this time of the year. However, women can also be at greater risk of physical harm,” Ms Burns said.

During the week of October 23-29, there 406 adults were accessing local-authority managed emergency accommodation in the Mid-West.

This is according to figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH).
Of these 406, 173 were female, meaning nearly 43% of those accessing council-run emergency accommodation in the Mid-West region were women, higher than the national average of 38%.

Ms Burn’s comments were supported by Lisa Marmion, a services development manager for Safe Ireland, a domestic violence charity, who said that it is very important that all jurisdictions work together to facilitate those fleeing domestic violence.

“The leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence. Whether it is because the individual has left due to violence, coercion, financial abuse, or in some cases, the home itself has been destroyed,” she added.

Figures from DHLGH for the same period, October 23-29, show that in the Mid-West region, 80 families were staying in council-run homeless accommodation.

This, according to the data, consisted of 59 single-parent families, 104 adults in total and 122 children.

Homeless mother and five-year-old son sleep in tent outside Limerick City Hall

A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council, said if a client presenting is fleeing domestic violence there are specific services available for support and access to emergency accommodation.

“These can be found on the Department of Justice website,” the spokesperson told the Limerick Leader/Limerick Live.

Ms Burns added that European evidence has found that women are often reluctant to present to homeless services because they are often male-dominated environments.

Therefore, they can often remain ‘hidden homeless’ for longer.

Hidden homeless are individuals who live with others temporarily and are considered to be hidden homeless, as their status is unnoticed and undocumented by local authorities.

Ms Burns says the current homelessness situation in Limerick is the worst the organisation has ever seen.

“Nationally, the numbers are higher than ever and are growing on a monthly basis, so it's definitely the worst we've ever seen and is linked to the housing crisis, particularly the contraction of the private rented market,” she said.