The Peter McVerry Trust has revealed that a record-breaking number of people suffering financially have availed of the charity’s services this year.
In its 2017 annual report, published on December 4, the charity said it has been supporting almost 5000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Some 313 people progressed out of homelessness while 4,791 people in total were supported by the organisation through services including emergency accommodation and rent advice. This is an 8% increase year-on-year, and a 40% increase in the amount of people supported by Peter McVerry Trust since 2011.
Initiative
This week the charity also launched a new social housing complex with 13 units in Dublin’s city centre as part of an overall plan to deliver a total of 120 social housing units by the end of year.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic about the initiative, Fr Peter McVerry said: “Giving homeless people permanent accommodation is like a dream come true for them. Many people have been homeless for a long time, individual people may homeless for many years, families could be in hotels for up to two years or even longer so just getting their own place, you see the joy on their faces.
“It’s just a dream come true for them and especially at this time of year when they know they will have their own place for Christmas.”