Number of homeless people Depaul charity supports in Northern Ireland doubles in 2022

A charity says they supported twice as many homeless people in Northern Ireland in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Depaul helped 5808 adults and 1647 children, with one in four users reporting substance abuse issues.

There was also a 60% increase in families coming to Depaul’s services, with the number of children facing homelessness being supporting more than doubling to 1647.

Depaul CEO, David Carroll said, "We are proud to have led through this turbulent year with a strong and significant response, continuing to provide solutions during this period of unprecedented housing shortages.

"We could not have achieved what we did without the support of the Depaul team, the volunteers and supporters. However, as we recognise our achievements, we must continue to acknowledge that addressing homelessness requires more than temporary solutions.

"Urgent early interventions are essential to break the cycle of dependency, especially for vulnerable individuals, preventing homelessness from becoming an intergenerational norm."

"High numbers accessing emergency accommodation in Northern Ireland, underlined the importance of the role of housing provision in eradicating and preventing homelessness.

"Depaul is incredibly concerned that the lack of housing will exacerbate the homelessness crisis even further into 2024. Increased efforts and initiatives must be made to ensure that housing can be accessed by those most in need."

"We are witnessing an alarming rise in poly substance use and overdose in both Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. We are calling for a radical response to this growing issue or we will see an increase in drug related deaths."

"Our experience is that people in homelessness have experienced trauma in their life and additional mental health and addiction support are crucial for this cohort.

"One in four Depaul Service users reported addiction issues in 2022, while our frontline staff in Belfast and Derry are administering multiple doses of the lifesaving naloxone injection to reverse the fatal effects of opioids.

"Naloxone supply needs to be much more readily available to make a significant difference in reducing drug-related overdose deaths across Northern Ireland. "

1 in 3 service users in Northern Ireland were women.

"In our efforts to create a safer and more supportive environment, we have already supported 269 women in Northern Ireland,” Deirdre Canavan, Senior Services Manager at Depaul in Northern Ireland said.

“Depaul is urgently calling for additional women only accommodation and support services for single women in Northern Ireland. The need for women is significant - 1 in 3 service users are women.

"Because of their specific needs and the increasing number of women experiencing homelessness it is time for an urgent response to provide appropriate services for women. We recognise the unique challenges they face and remain dedicated to providing tailored solutions that empower and uplift every woman who seeks our assistance."

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