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SAFETY, EMPLOYMENT, EMPATHY. These are just some of the needs which people in Dublin experiencing homelessness want the next government to prioritise.
They don’t feel safe in hostels – or on the streets, where they say they are ‘bullied by gangs’. They find it hard to access education, jobs or even basic information because they do not have a stable living environment. And they feel that no one listens to them, or looks at them and that they are not seen by most politicians as human, or worthy.
In 2014, during what we thought then was the height of the homeless crisis, TheJournal.ie‘s Homeless Postcard project collected the views of people who were living on the country’s streets and in its hostels.
The Homeless Postcard project returns for the general election and over the past two weeks – with the assistance of a number of homeless services – we have been asking the community for their opinions on the current political situation.
Here’s what they told us
Many of the postcard respondents spoke about issues in hostels – safety, drug use and lack of services, while several spoke about bullying.
One rough sleeper who has been homeless for seven years said they tried hostels but was “beaten and robbed”.
“I drunk but no drugs, if you don’t do drugs, stay away [from hostels].”
They plan to vote in the election:
Another woman wrote about living “in fear”. She will not go to a hostel and sleeps on the street instead:
“I try to keep to myself, the hostels are bad but I would not survive on the street,” this person wrote.
They’ve been homeless for ten years. Their message for the next government?
“Listen to us.”
“Open your eyes,” this person tells the next government. They’ve been homeless for 16 years.
At the Depaul hostel on Back Lane, one person had their own manifesto to share with the government. They have been homeless for seven years and do not plan to vote in the election because “no one qualifies as it stands”. They want free education, a ban on plastics, more affordable fruit and vegetables and sex education for children after puberty:
There was a shorter message from another person at this hostel, who has been homeless for 20 years – it’s “way beyond time” to fix this crisis:
Another brief message from someone who has been homeless for 15 years, usually sleeping in hostels – “Get the country sorted”.
Some of our postcard respondents spoke of leaving the care system, straight into homelessness:
One person who was staying in Depaul’s Little Britain Street hostel the night they filled in the card said they’ve been homeless for 17 years – “Too fucking long”.
They are planning to vote, but not for any of the large political parties. They want to “give some new faces a chance”, a government that “really wants to help the country”.
Another service user at this hostel, who has been homeless for 15 years, also said they’ll vote, adding “…would like to see a lot more for the homeless, everybody deserves a home”.
This person, like many others who filled out the postcards for us, plans to vote or Sinn Féin.
This woman has been homeless for six years. She was sleeping rough, but homeless services got her and her boyfriend into a hostel. She says she’ll vote in the election:
Other parties did get a look in, with mentions of the Green Party and People Before Profit on some. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael also got one mention each, out of 65 postcards. Some named individual candidates, like independent Christy Burke and Social Democrats candidate Gary Gannon:
But some, like this person who has been homeless for 29 years and “has never seen it as bad” said there was no one they would vote for, apart from the volunteers who stop to talk to them and help them:
While some focused on specific policy areas or services, many of the cards simply asked the next government to treat them like human beings:
The postcards were distributed to a number of hostels across Dublin and volunteers with Babs, a listening service provided through Inner City Helping Homeless, also filled in the cards with rough sleepers in the city over two evenings. Some of the cards were filled in with the assistance of or by volunteers in cases where the person was not comfortable with reading and writing themselves, or they were out on the streets.
We sent the postcards to a number of services outside Dublin – we’ll share those too, as soon as they arrive back in the post.
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An absolute hero who gave everything and never thought of himself.
RIP, he was genuinely one of the good ones, saw through the religious divide and saw the good in everyone.
I had the honour of meeting Fr. Reid while he was at a seminary in San Sebastian in the Basque Country. The Basque people loved and admired him too. He was an inspiration and set an example for conflict resolution in that region also. Rest In Peace.
May he rest in peace. How many lives were saved because of this man’s actions? A real hero in the modern age.
Heard him described on the radio as “a fully paid up member of the human race”…cant add to that..RIP.
terrible news, he was a good man who done his best for the people in the North
He used to pop in to Comans in Rathgar to watch the football games, he never said who he was, nor I never asked him, as the match went on, he’d close his eyes for 40 winks, he never failed to say hello whilst out walking, but that wasn’t me, that was for everyone
What a contribution this man made towards the well being and safety of all of his fellow human beings on this tiny Island of ours.
Gosh, if in my lifetime I could do but a thimble full of the goodness which this man did, I would count my life as having been well worth while.
If ever there was a life worth celebrating and commemorating it would have to be the life of Alec Reid. Perhaps a scholarship in peace studies or some such educational endevour should now be considered in his honour of his memory.
We must never be allowed to forget the great good this man did in his lifetime.
The future of peace within the human family on the entire plot of land called Ireland will likely depend on it.
May you rest in peace Alec and may the good you did live on and be known to our children and our children’s children.
Nice to see a positive story about priests in news. They get a lot bad press over last few yrs,well done FR.
I believe that it was Father Alec Reid who was more instrumental than Bertie Ahern in initiating and mataining the momentum of the peace process.
Sadly, many prefer to ascribe the credit to Bertie but Bertie was not the sole mover in the peace process.
Father Red exercised personal courage, miral integrity and enormous skill in what he achieved. Many, many lives were saved as a result.
Atheist myself, but ‘God’ bless the peacemakers, of which this fine old gent was one.
If only more had the balls to act half of what he was. History will remember him to be the true architect of the good Friday agreement not the political fools that did kicking and screaming.
a sad day indeed
This priest went beyond the call of Duty. He was able to bring both sides together to try and sort out issues. That was no mean achievement. I heard an interview today on the radio it was said that he had a special gift of getting people together no matter what persuasion they were from. So I think Fr. Reid R.I.P. Deserves all the Great tributes that are being paid to him today.
Fr. Alec Reid, thank you for your unique approach that has transformed peace to this land.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
“May his soul be on God’s right side”
He never sought attention for himself but without him the Peace Process would never have come to anything.
A true Christian in that while he always condemed the sin he loved the sinner, irrespective of who he was & the photo of him praying over the dead soldier, one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century, was truly what Christ would have done in the same circumstances.
May he rest in peace.
We lost a good man today.
Goodnight Father.
We were blessed to have this man in our Country. I heard him described today on de radio as a reluctant hero, so true. Rip
is it not interesting that we are celebrating and remembering this mans great leadership and accomplishments on the day that he dies, 50 years to the day that another leader was cut down before he could show his qualities ….
A rarity in the clergy. He was a good man
What he did was to sit on the fence. By failing to condemn he indirectly supported the murder of the innocent.
Aaaaand here we go. You and your ilk bugger off you’ve no place here. He was a great, selfless and noble man. End of.
D**khead
Yeah just like your Idol and hero the great Rev Ian Paisley who did so much to try end Sectarian violence between two tribes. One majority tribe trying to keep the other in the gutter and trying to cling to power. But your days are up Kido
Imagine being you. I’d say it is terrible.
He condemned violence on all sides, his words and more so his actions proved that. Well done good and faithful servant. May he rest in peace.
Parm can’t be bothered to write your name properly (anyone betting on the cheap return shot) you are a complete and utter ignorant Sprat ( take away the s)
His years of work for peace in Northern Ireland, will always be remembered.
RIP to a truly great man.
There have been hundreds of comments on British Ex-Services sites thanking Father Reid for his actions and wishing RIP.
Saturday around 8pm over 500 on the Royal Signals site, both soldiers wereSignals.
Father Reid carried out his duty as a Priest in an exemplary fashion.
I also believe the actions of people present at the incident showed the respect he was held in
RIP
A great man of peace. ~~I’m surprised he didn’t join the “disappeared” for praying over the two murdered soldiers. people had been killed for much less!
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