Homeless in Cork

theglobe

Has anyone noticed the increasing amount of homeless people in Cork? Seem to be everywhere now with a good percentage of them totally strung out unfortunately. Over the last few months things seem to have gone worse.

mikeecho

theglobe wrote: »

Has anyone noticed the increasing amount of homeless people in Cork? Seem to be everywhere now with a good percentage of them totally strung out unfortunately. Over the last few months things seem to have gone worse.

It's been like that for a long time.

You just notice it more now, because of all the media attention.

theglobe

mikeecho wrote: »

It's been like that for a long time.

You just notice it more now, because of all the media attention.

No, that's not it. I've worked in town for years and seems to be much more in your face now with far more people in heroin. I don't listen to local radio so it couldn't be that.

TheChizler

It's hard to judge based on walking by, you'll notice more sleeping rough/begging during the summer with the better weather. You'd need figures from the likes of Simon or Focus to get a true indication.

mikeecho

theglobe wrote: »

No, that's not it. I've worked in town for years and seems to be much more in your face now with far more people in heroin. I don't listen to local radio so it couldn't be that.

The numbers the same as they've always been.
But with the lack of police resources, shooting up is a lot more visible. And being constitutionally entitled to beg, means that more are seen sitting in door ways.

But... the numbers are the same as ever.


High Court ruling helps put beggars back on our streets


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/high-court-ruling-helps-put-beggars-back-on-our-streets-29210883.html

KCAccidental

seeing people camp by the lough the last couple of weeks or so. Definitely not the usual fishermen there.

nerwen

I've lived in the city for a few years and it definitely feels like there's way more of the people sleeping in shop doorways and such these days. Can't help but feeling a bit unsafe to walk near, especially when it's big group. The other day there was a group of 6 by the Hollands and Barrett on Patrick street, all with duvets and stuff.

opus

Noticed a tent on the Lee Fields on Fri evening just beyond the Kingsley hotel, first time I've ever seen that.

whisky_galore

The makeshift shelter in the doorway of that empty unit on the Bridge end of Pana seems to be a semi permanent fixture now. Pana last Sunday afternoon looked like one elongated flophouse.

I see duvets and blankets appearing in strange places now like around the buildings Kent Station overflow car park. Tents pitched around the place are a new one to me.

It'll get worse before it gets better.

Nerdlingr

Spotted some sleeping bags down by the centre park road, the marina road, another one on the old mahon line.
That one in Patrick Street though... its been there well over a year now, maybe two. A permanent fixture in the main thoroughfare in Ireland's second biggest city. If it was any other city in europe it'd be gone within a week. Also, at the back of the Clarion there's some awful sh*te going on..bodies all over the street in the middle of the day down there. Very sad to see.

snotboogie

whisky_galore wrote: »

The makeshift shelter in the doorway of that empty unit on the Bridge end of Pana seems to be a semi permanent fixture now. Pana last Sunday afternoon looked like one elongated flophouse.

I see duvets and blankets appearing in strange places now like around the buildings Kent Station overflow car park. Tents pitched around the place are a new one to me.

It'll get worse before it gets better.

I have to go to town on Sunday mornings and the issue seems more pronounced or more obvious. The amount of people with mental health and/or substance abuse ambling around is devastating.

whisky_galore

snotboogie wrote: »

I have to go to town on Sunday mornings and the issue seems more pronounced or more obvious. The amount of people with mental health and/or substance abuse ambling around is devastating.

I'd say it's more obvious as there's less people going about their business on a Sunday and the homeless can hang out in the doorways of shops normally open Mon-Sat.

whisky_galore

Nerdlingr wrote: »

Spotted some sleeping bags down by the centre park road, the marina road, another one on the old mahon line.
That one in Patrick Street though... its been there well over a year now, maybe two.A permanent fixture in the main thoroughfare in Ireland's second biggest city. If it was any other city in europe it'd be gone within a week. Also, at the back of the Clarion there's some awful sh*te going on..bodies all over the street in the middle of the day down there. Very sad to see.

Would that be a good or a bad thing?

I think people are sleeping further away from the city centre to avoid getting p*ssed on or getting the crap kicked out of them at night by some of our fine upstanding citizens.

God help these people if we get a cold winter.

goochy

are people coming to cork from outside? , as someone from Dublin originally I don't like to see cork becoming like a mini Dublin - came here to get away from that.

obviously want the best for the homeless also.

mikeecho

Some of them would be no loss to society.

.red.

mikeecho wrote: »

Some of them would be no loss to society.

That's true but most of them would be!

mikeecho

.red. wrote: »

That's true but most of them would be!

Yeah, because their contribution is noteworthy.

It's not like they are a drain on overstretched resources.

Poster boy Stephen jack Watson, he was championed as a great fella.... untill the reality was uncovered.

And there's many more, decent auld sods.. let's shed a tear.. hold a vigil, oh hang on, they had how many convictions, did they ever do anything with their life.

No loss, a overall gain for the decent tax payer.

Diziet

mikeecho wrote: »

Yeah, because their contribution is noteworthy.

It's not like they are a drain on overstretched resources.

Poster boy Stephen jack Watson, he was championed as a great fella.... untill the reality was uncovered.

And there's many more, decent auld sods.. let's shed a tear.. hold a vigil, oh hang on, they had how many convictions, did they ever do anything with their life.

No loss, a overall gain for the decent tax payer.

Nasty little comment there.

mikeecho

Diziet wrote: »

Nasty little comment there.

He was a nasty man.

I doubt his victims shed a tear for him.

A lot of the wasters/addicts on our streets aren't providing anything positive to our community.

Defacating in public, begging, leaving uncapped syringes on thr ground.. great bunch of lads.

Fabio

mikeecho wrote: »

He was a nasty man

You come across as one yourself.

A society is judged on how it treats it's weakest and poorest and we do a really bad job at that. Granted, many on the streets are not angels but to sleep in a tent with winter approaching here is no way to live.

Years of cuts to social care budgets and mental health budgets and community drug programmes has lead to this folks. Years of cuts. The effects will be felt for years to come I fear. But, at least, those of us on here [I presume] can sleep with a roof over our heads tonight. Including you Mickecho.

Making bed sits illegal or whatever they did 4 years ago might have been well intentioned but would you prefer to be in a sh1tty bedsit or homeless?

mikeecho

Fabio wrote: »

You come across as one yourself.

A society is judged on how it treats it's weakest and poorest and we do a really bad job at that. Granted, many on the streets are not angels but to sleep in a tent with winter approaching here is no way to live.

Years of cuts to social care budgets and mental health budgets and community drug programmes has lead to this folks. Years of cuts. The effects will be felt for years to come I fear. But, at least, those of us on here [I presume] can sleep with a roof over our heads tonight. Including you Mickecho.

Years of cuts... these people have no interest in working, just take take take.

How did years of cuts in ireland end up causing an irish man in Australia to commit sexual crimes.
I've suffered as a result of the cuts and tax hikes, but I haven't gone out to commit crime, and be a burden on the state.

Let's blame anyone and anything except the actual perpetrator.

Why should my taxes pay for addicts.

As I've said... no loss.

Sorry for offending the snow flakes.

goochy

I have to say while there are some decent people Homeless , you are can be pretty sure many are people who have bad attitude don't take responsability for anything and fall out with family and friends and refuse to believe that they are at fault

the beer revolu

So, mikeecho, how would you solve the homeless problem?
I assume that you would like to see less people living on the streets, less drug addicts, less begging, less crime?
As you don't want your tax money going to support, educate, treat or try to rehabilitate homeless people or addicts what is your solution?
Execute them?
Do enlighten us as to how you might lessen these problems? And remember, locking them up is expensive.

boardsuser1

Augeo wrote: »

Making bed sits illegal or whatever they did 4 years ago might have been well intentioned but would you prefer to be in a sh1tty bedsit or homeless?

I've sadly sampled some of the worst things in life such as a bedsit that was cold,damp and at one stage had vermin present.

Also i was homeless aged 13 & 22/23, being homeless was bloody better, i slept rough as a 13 year old, in a car or St Vincent's hostel in the later years.

My experience of Vincent's was that it was a complete kip, sharing the toilets and showers with addicts wasn't pleasant either.

the beer revolu

mikeecho wrote: »

Sorry for offending the snow flakes.

OH, nice little preemptive swipe at anyone who doesn't agree with you.
Dismiss them as offended snowflakes before they even speak.
Nice.

j8wk2feszrnpao

When I lived in the city center I'd a number of encounters with homeless people, esp those camped around South Terrace. A large number of them just drinking their lives away, causing hassle, and intimidating quite a few people as well.
But many are caught in a situation, some without options, others without the will to change things. It can't be easy living on the street, I certainly don't envy them, and would wish for better services to be available.
Spoke with a social worker a while back, and her experience as that some will try and improve if given the chance, while others just won't no matter what.

KCAccidental

but, muh taxes!

Only one snowflake in here Mike

Roger Hassenforder

Cork Truck Driver wrote: »

I've sadly sampled some of the worst things in life such as a bedsit that was cold,damp and at one stage had vermin present.

Also i was homeless aged 13 & 22/23, being homeless was bloody better, i slept rough as a 13 year old, in a car or St Vincent's hostel in the later years.

My experience of Vincent's was that it was a complete kip, sharing the toilets and showers with addicts wasn't pleasant either.

As someone with experience of it, what do you think should/could be done?

the beer revolu

So, I ended up chatting with a homeless man the other night.
Generally, I have no time for people approaching me on the street but something about this guy made me engage for a few minutes. He wasn't drunk or on drugs as far as I could tell. Just somehow fell through the huge cracks in our safety net. He used to be a chef. I don't know what happened him but I got the sense that he was a decent guy who possibly made some bad decisions and was certainly unlucky. Not a scumbag or career welfare person or addict.

I gave him half my cig (didn't have more on me) and what small change I had in my pocket and felt awful going home to my house with two spare bedrooms.

So, mikeecho, let's hope he died that night sleeping in a derelict van so you can feel better about the taxes you pay!

I really fear for society when I read posts like yours. Genuinely.
It doesn't offend me or make me angry. It makes me feel sad and fearful.

Fabio

mikeecho wrote: »

Years of cuts... these people have no interest in working, just take take take.

How did years of cuts in ireland end up causing an irish man in Australia to commit sexual crimes.
I've suffered as a result of the cuts and tax hikes, but I haven't gone out to commit crime, and be a burden on the state.

Let's blame anyone and anything except the actual perpetrator.

Why should my taxes pay for addicts.

As I've said... no loss.

Sorry for offending the snow flakes.

Not offended at all fella. I'm far from a snowflake. But I am no fascist either.

If you had spent the time reading my post, and those of others, you'd have seen that pretty much everyone acknowledges that not all homeless people are angels. But there many who just made bad choices and had bad luck. It doesn't take much for it to happen.

How about you go and talk to a sample of them in Cork, come back here then and tell us if you feel any different? At least you'd be basing some of your arguments on evidence then...of a kind. Or would that be too "snowflakey" for you?

I'm all for differing viewpoints but if you can't back up your wild assumptions...

mire

mikeecho wrote: »

Years of cuts... these people have no interest in working, just take take take.

How did years of cuts in ireland end up causing an irish man in Australia to commit sexual crimes.
I've suffered as a result of the cuts and tax hikes, but I haven't gone out to commit crime, and be a burden on the state.

Let's blame anyone and anything except the actual perpetrator.

Why should my taxes pay for addicts.

As I've said... no loss.

Sorry for offending the snow flakes.

Yes, your taxes should pay for addicts. Why not?

Sorry mate, when you pay taxes, you allow the government decide where to spend money. They are the rules. That might from time to time mean that it ends up supporting some social cause that you disagree with. I might not like the fact that my taxes may have contributed to a €300,000 payoff for the boss of Irish water, But that is the way it is.

Get over it, it's how democracies work.

whisky_galore

the beer revolu wrote: »

So, mikeecho, how would you solve the homeless problem?
I assume that you would like to see less people living on the streets, less drug addicts, less begging, less crime?
As you don't want your tax money going to support, educate, treat or try to rehabilitate homeless people or addicts what is your solution?
Execute them?
Do enlighten us as to how you might lessen these problems? And remember, locking them up is expensive.

No answer there, maybe we'll get a 'hurr durr my tax moneys'. Maybe he'd prefer to step over frozen bodies on the street?

If you don't provide supports for people who fall though the net, don't be surprised when your house gets ransacked. Maybe if there was more money put in at the front end when these people were schoolkids and supports along the way maybe we wouldn't have so many addicts?

Loads of kids staying in the euphemistically titled 'family hubs', we're storing up a whole load of trouble if we stay that course and people just don't see that coming or maybe they would prefer to ignore it.

the beer revolu

I guess Mike doesn't want to engage as we are all bleeding heart liberal, offended snowflakes.

goochy

There are some decent people like him there but as said alot are trouble makers who have fallen out with everyone around them and take responsability for nothing in life.

boardsuser1

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

As someone with experience of it, what do you think should/could be done?

I would gladly become part of a group who could offer proposals on the best way to remedy this ever growing problem.

I commend the fantastic work being done by SVDP.

There was all sorts of stuff being found in the toilets/showers there.

If anyone is looking in here i'd be more than willing to offer assistance so feel free to drop me a PM.