Behind the scenes with the community Simon: “People work full time but live in cars”

The charity’s dedicated staff work around the clock to support clients from all walks of life.

The Belfast Telegraph spent a day with the Housing Solutions team to take a look at how it works.

“We have always been busy, but it was during the Covid pandemic that the problem of homelessness really took hold and intensified,” says services manager Aisling Devine.

With the crisis showing no signs of abating, the Simon community is busier than ever.

By the end of March, there were 47,312 households, or approximately 86,000 people, on the waiting list for social housing.

Demand exceeds supply due to lack of financial resources. Between the 1970s and 1990s, approximately 45,000 social homes were built each year. The target level for ‘starting’ – not completing – social homes for 2024/25 is between 500 and 600.

The charity was founded in 1971 to provide soup to homeless people in Belfast city centre.

It has grown exponentially and now has 464 beds across Northern Ireland.

However, in one week in June, only 10 of these beds were available as the housing solutions team received 425 requests from people desperate for a place to stay.

The charity provides a range of services to its clients, from helping them get into permanent housing through the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to support with addiction problems.

The Simon Community also runs a homeless support hotline and provides “moving” packages for people starting a new apartment. These packages include mattresses, bedding, fryers, cutlery and household items such as toilet paper and garbage bags.

The charity works with stakeholders including the Housing Executive, Belfast Trust and the Prison Service.

Every four to six weeks, Housing Solutions team members conduct clinics, visiting clients and helping them with any issues they may have.

We met two clients, one who was receiving advice on finding a permanent home in the private sector and the other who had recently become homeless and needed help in dealing with the Housing Executive.

Some people seeking help do not have access to financial resources.

“We deal with a lot of clients, many of whom can be quite vulnerable. They may have been living on the streets or fleeing domestic violence,” says Housing Solutions Coordinator Melissa Mallon.

“Everyone is different and we help them as much as we can. The first call they make to us is always the hardest. Just asking for help can be extremely difficult for people, so we try to give them peace of mind.

“Some people want advice, others just want someone to listen to them when they’re struggling. Our clients didn’t do anything wrong, they just went through difficult times.”

Around 79% of people using Simon Community accommodation have mental health problems.

In addition to running hostels and other forms of temporary accommodation, the Simon Community runs the Creating Homes program.

To help address the chronic shortage of affordable housing, the charity began purchasing properties several years ago.

It has purchased or agreed to sell 22 properties and aims to own or manage 300 homes by 2027.

In 2018 it introduced a rental deposit scheme to help people access the private rented sector.

It was originally intended for people living in the charity’s temporary accommodation, but was expanded in 2020 to help people across Northern Ireland experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Since its launch, 500 deposits have been made available under the scheme.

The Housing Solutions team say an increasingly worrying trend is the increasing number of full-time working people asking for help.

Aisling explains: “We had people working full time but living in cars. Others need help making ends meet, going to the grocery store or getting heating oil.

“At the end of the day, it all depends on our customers.”

When talking to team members, you can notice a sense of commitment to their work.

“When you see how much you can make a difference for families by helping them, it makes you smile from ear to ear and sometimes cry,” says Melissa.

Aisling adds: “It may sound strange, but the best thing for us is when we help someone and never hear from them again. That’s fantastic because it means they’ve found their feet.”

For more information about the Simon Community, visit simoncommunity.org. The One Big Sleep Out event will take place at Stormont on October 11. Register or get more information at simoncommunity.org/get-involved/events/one-big-sleep-out-2024