The Housing Act 1988 defines a homeless person as “somebody who has no reasonable accommodation to live in or lives in a hospital, institution or night shelter because of a lack of home”.
Homelessness is among the biggest challenges faced by Irish society. There is rarely a simple explanation for someone becoming homeless. It is usually the result of a combination of factors. Before, explanations tended to focus on it as an individual problem due to personal difficulties. Nowadays there is a much wider recognition of how societal factors such as social policy and social exclusion together with structural issues such as poverty, unemployment and housing shortages contribute to homelessness.
The Society of St Vincent De Paul is one of the largest providers of accommodation for the homeless in the country. St Vincent De Paul operates two hostels in Cork city with 127 beds for the homeless. Deerpark House offers accommodation for 51 men while St Vincent’s Hostel on Anglesea Terrace has accommodation for 75.
If you find yourself homeless in Cork the first place you should go to is The Homeless Persons’ Unit in Drinan Street. This is part of the Adult Homeless Integrated Services. Here the Community Welfare Officers for homeless persons hold daily public clinics and regular outreach clinics.
Clinic Times: Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00noon 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
(Except Tuesday afternoons. A City Council Outreach Worker is available)