Sadness as ‘more and more homeless’ people take shelter on Portadown streets just weeks before Christmas

Faye Stevenson, who works for the Southern Health Trust, said she has noticed an increase in the numbers of homeless people in her home town in recent months.

She revealed that while out with her family she has spotted quite a few people apparently camping out in the town centre recently.

Last Wednesday she saw two men, one in the Halifax doorway and the other in the Nationwide doorway. “It’s really sad. They were there over a number of nights and one of the men we had seen before.”

She added that in Edward Street, where the Simon Community Hostel is based, she spotted a number of people camping out in the derelict building across the road from the hostel.

“We noticed bits of wood and cardboard had been put up and people appeared to be sleeping out behind it,” said Kaye.

She added that she saw another woman in her 40s on Saturday with a sign saying she was homeless.

Faye said she knew people in the Simon Community who were doing great work going out to these people and giving them sleeping bags, provisions and hot drinks.

“It was such a bitter, bitter cold night when I saw the older men in town. I just thought, what if that was my dad out there on the street, he just wouldn’t survive,” said Faye who reckoned they were in their 60s.

She witnessed a number of people trying to help with one woman stopping in a car with sleeping bags and coats and bags of food, hot coffee etc.

The Portadown woman said: “It’s a really bad time of year to be sleeping out. It was really sad to see this especially at this time, in the winter, in the cold and with Christmas coming up. It is so unusual for Portadown.”

Faye said there seems to be a real shortage of accommodation for young people in particular. “But here are the older generation on the streets.”

Sources in the housing sector say that, besides genuine homeless people sleeping rough, there can also be those claiming to be homeless but going home at night after begging on the streets of Portadown and other nearby towns.

A spokesperson for the Simon Community said: “We operate temporary accommodation projects in Portadown, which accept referrals from the Housing Executive and other statutory bodies. In addition, we also have a floating support team for people aged 16-25 that works with individuals to help maintain an existing home.

“Our team are aware of those sleeping rough in the area and receive calls daily in relation to the matter.

“The team are in regular contact with those individuals, providing hot drinks and sleeping bags etc, and actively encourage those sleeping rough to contact the Housing Executive so that they can be placed into temporary accommodation.”

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said; “We are aware of this issue in the Portadown area and we have engaged with partner organisations and offered assistance, which has been refused. It should be noted that street activity can manifest itself in a number of ways, for example, begging or street drinking.

“Any person at risk of experiencing homelessness can contact our local office for help and advice.”

Read more: Portadown charity shop in plea for help after the COVID-19 pandemic