As Homelessness Awareness Week kicks off, one woman has opened up about her passion for helping those who find themselves in housing stress.
First joining the Housing Executive in the year 2000, the team lead at Belfast Housing Solutions has since worked her way up through various departments. Today her role within the public body is to support people in securing accommodation.
And while after two decades she still has a passion for the job, she admitted that it can be challenging on staff who deal with complex cases and difficult situations. In the current climate, they face multiple issues but say their passion keeps them going.
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"I started in a temporary role as a clerical officer and almost 23 years I am still here," she said.
"From then, I have been a counter assistant, a housing advisor and I have worked my way up to a team leader in a job that I really love. We assist and support the most vulnerable people in our society and customers who require assistance with temporary accommodation.
"Within my team one of the important duties we undertake is to source temporary accommodation for our customers and signposting them to additional support services, for example we could be pointing customers in directions of foodbanks, clothing banks or emotional support if they require it. Each working day is varied and, we work together really well as a team, we have a shared purpose.
"We offer a person centred approach, each customer's presentation reason for assistance is different and we strive to support them as best we can.
"We are here to reassure people that they are very welcome and that we are here to help them. If a customer needs assistance immediately, we will ensure that we are here for them."
Over 15,500 households sought assistance from the Housing Executive because of homelessness in the last year.
Homelessness Awareness Week in Northern Ireland is an annual initiative that seeks to challenge stereotypes around homelessness, highlight the invaluable work undertaken by homelessness services and cast a spotlight on the significant number of people affected locally.
Coordinated by the homelessness sector’s representative body Homeless Connect, there will be an extensive programme of activities held between 5-11 December, encouraging people to “Have the Conversation” about homelessness, to understand the causes and what we as a society need to do to prevent and alleviate homelessness.
Nicola McCrudden, Chief Executive of Homeless Connect, said: "At a time when households are facing the perfect storm of high inflation, sky rocketing utility bills and rising interest rates, many families are worried about keeping a roof over their heads. The reality is that anyone could find themselves facing homelessness through no fault of their own.
"Missed mortgage payments, rent arrears, relationship breakdown, poor health or being asked to leave by your landlord are all genuine reasons why people find themselves at risk of becoming homeless.
"Sleeping on the streets is the most visible and extreme form of homelessness. Whilst the number of people rough sleeping is increasing, there are fewer people sleeping on our streets in comparison to other parts of these islands. Times are very tough for many people at the moment, so it’s important to show kindness and compassion rather than looking the other way."
Homelessness Awareness Week is also about acknowledging the great work being undertaken by homelessness services, most are charities.
Ms McCrudden added: "I never cease to be amazed at the people working in homelessness services. Staff really go that extra mile to provide much needed support, in some cases they are actually saving lives. The collaborative work which goes on, mostly unseen, makes such a difference for so many."
The Belfast Housing Solutions team within the Housing Executive also work with external bodies to ensure those that need further support, can access it.
"I really do love working with people, I can’t imagine doing anything else. It's nice for the customer to know that we are real people too," their team lead told Belfast Live.
"The customers we are dealing with may have a lot of issues going on in their lives - housing is a very small part of that. In today’s society we have customers presenting with many vulnerabilities, this could be drug and or alcohol addictions, mental health issues, mobility issues or financial difficulties.
"As housing practitioners we respond to our customers’ needs in a caring and compassionate way. Housing is small part of a customer’s journey and that’s why we work with our external partners to ensure they are receiving the most appropriate support.
"Once we place the customer in temporary accommodation, that is not the end of their journey. We continue to support them to achieve a permanent housing solution. Whilst we are housing practitioners, we can also be described as a support network. Our role often goes beyond housing and homelessness.
"We are human. We are approachable. We care. We love our jobs and believe it is a vocation. If you need advice and assistance we are here to help you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us or call into the office, there is always someone willing to help."
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