This is the new home that will serve as a safe space for women who find themselves in a vulnerable housing situation.
Catherine House will official open on March 19, seven years to the day that Catherine Kenny died on the streets of Belfast aged 32. The Downpatrick woman's name is placed proudly at the entrance the new shelter in South Belfast.
Commissioned by the Housing Executive and funded through the Supporting People Programme, the new facility will be operated by the Welcome Organisation. The new, bespoke, supported accommodation-based service is for women experiencing homelessness.
READ MORE: New homeless sanctuary named after woman who died on Belfast street
Speaking to Belfast Live at the sanctuary on Wednesday, Chief Executive of The Welcome Organisation, Jo Daykin-Goodall said: "Catherine House is for women who have been through the ringer, and are homeless but have complex issues and fit the criteria of chronic homelessness.
"They will have a lot of trauma in their background, issues and bad experiences that have lead them into homelessness and is keeping them stuck. Catherine House is all about helping those women to deal with that trauma in the lives, and to build up that confidence self esteem.
"Catherine House has been put together with extreme care. Everything has been thought through. Every bedroom has been painted from the palette that is conducive to really good mental health and wellbeing. The colours are energetic and empowering but also calming.
"It is a powerful building as you walk through it. You feel that sense of calmness. We have a fantastic new team that are so excited to be starting, and a wonderful service manager that is very experienced in this kind of work. We can't wait for the doors to open and to really start to make a difference to the lives of these women.
"Catherine Kenny was a young woman who was well known to the Welcome Organisation and we worked very closely with her. She sadly passed away on the streets of Belfast. It is important for us that Catherine, like the other people who have died on the streets, are not forgotten about.
"Catherine House is an example of how minds have come together and looked at homelessness and moved forward to do things differently."
Elma Newberry has worked at the Housing Executive for 40 years, but said the opening of Catherine House has been "emotional" to be a part of.
Walking through the doors of each room of the space, the women will be met with warmth and a home-like atmosphere.
"Catherine House is a really significant piece today and we are really proud to be part of it," Elma said.
"As part of our Homeless Strategy, our first port of call is prevention, but if it occurs, we want it to be brief and non-recurrent. We recognise, particularly with women in crisis situations where there is a lot of complex needs, that there has to be some sort of support that is slightly unique, and I think Catherine House helps to tick all of those boxes.
"It's about a therapeutic wrap around service for those women to let them move along and deal with their complex issues that allows them to move back into a home of their own. For us, this is a critical service that we want to continue to support.
"The Housing Executive is looking across Northern Ireland to try and progress this. Over the next 12 months, we are anticipating putting £500,000 of investment into this type of facility. We really welcome Catherine House, and it is about people having a place of safety and security.
"I have to say, I even got a bit emotional when I came into Catherine House on Wednesday because it is so calming, and so welcoming, For me, walking through the door, I felt safe."
The new women’s service will provide 24-hour supported living for ten women experiencing homelessness who are ready to take the next steps to live independently. It will be more than just a roof over their heads – it will have a therapeutic ethos were trauma informed support will be interwoven into their daily lives.
And it will have support workers on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
One of those support workers is Emma Barrett-Ferris, who is the women's services coordinator.
She told Belfast Live: "This is the first of its kind, not only in Northern Ireland but across Ireland, so we are hoping that this will pave the way for these types of services.
"We have said ourselves, within the team, that there should have been something like this long ago, and how amazing it is that The Welcome Organisation has brought this about.
"We have a lovely team of support workers here. For us, coming in as staff, we were choked up and emotional, to see it all coming together. It is so welcoming and a lovely space."
Housing Executive Chief Executive Grainia Long said establishing this service, and others like it, is a "strategic priority for the Housing Executive".
“Women experiencing homelessness will receive a level of service that is appropriate to their needs, working with them to resolve often deeply rooted challenges and always acting with empathy," she added.
"Alongside Catherine House, we have been growing the number of services for women experiencing chronic homelessness. As well as safe and secure sanctuary accommodation, a number of new services are being supported and developed to provide bespoke interventions over the next year.
"Around £500,000 will be allocated from the Supporting People programme to support new schemes and initiatives for women over the next 12 months. This includes funding for an Emotional Health and Wellbeing Officer to assist the Welcome Organisation, while an Activity Recovery Coaching Help (ARCH) programme, designed to promote positive mental health in those living with addiction issues, is also planned."
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