“That is madness,” says Louisa Santoro, CEO of the Mendicity Institution. “A single person is not a sufficient level of staff to run any homeless service.”
Overflowing bowls, used needles scattered on the floor, and trails of blood. One man who stayed there said he left after three nights said because he couldn’t hack the disgusting bathrooms.
At meetings at City Hall this week, councillors talked about changes in plans for how to use council land, possible traffic changes around Sandymount Green, and the roll-out of more “hubs” for homeless families.
A survey funded by our readers and conducted by Amárach Research asked about issues including how often people call the freephone and can’t get a bed for the night, and the conditions in the hostels when they do get in.
Charities that run such hostels say they have their own standards in place. But it’s not clear who, if anyone, is looking over their shoulders to make sure they meet them.
While the emergency hostel at Lefroy House has evolved over the years, some say they’re still concerned that teenagers have to leave during the day – and that some are there too long.
