Appeal for information on homeless deaths in NI ahead of ‘fact-finding mission' next month
An organisation wants to gather a 'clear picture' and 'do justice' to those dying while homeless in Northern Ireland
The Museum of Homelessness (MoH) is appealing for information about the deaths of people sleeping rough in Northern Ireland ahead of a week-long series of engagement events being held in Belfast.
It's hoped the 'fact-finding mission' in June will help 'get a clear picture and do justice to those dying' while experiencing homelessness in the region.
The charity has been running its Dying Homeless Project since 2019 when the Bureau of Investigative journalism handed it over having begun this ground-breaking work in 2017.
Strategic lead at MoH, Gill Taylor, described the initiative as one that respects people who could otherwise be forgotten.
"It is so important that we honour and remember with love people in Northern Ireland to the same extent as people in Wales, England and Scotland,' she said.
'We are coming to Belfast to make sure the project is doing justice to the community there and we are looking forward to meeting as many people as possible and get a clear picture of what's happening on the ground.'
The project aims to capture more detail about those who have lost their lives than currently is covered by official data.
According to recent statistics by the Simon Community, one in every 32 people in Northern Ireland is now classified as homeless.
Some 59,518 people here are now officially homeless — 4,000 more than this time last year and a 136% increase in the last decade.
Around a third (18,567) of those are aged under 18 and families make up over half (33,898) of people with official homelessness status.
MoH is the only organisation monitoring deaths in the homeless community in all four parts of the UK.
Next month, the team will spend a week in Belfast holding sector facing and public engagement events and taking to the streets outside City Hall between 6pm and 8pm on Tuesday 17 June and Wednesday 18 June.
During those times, grieving relatives will have a chance to add the name of a loved one to a memorial banner and share any information that can help the project fairly represent deaths in NI and honour those who have passed whilst fighting for change.
The team will also be hosting two events on Wednesday 18 June at the Ulster Museum including an informal gathering (10.30am-12.30pm) that will introduce the Museum of Homelessness and the Dying Homeless Project — their UK-wide initiative that honours the lives of people who die while homeless.
This will be followed by a gallery takeover and series of public performances in the Troubles and Beyond Gallery (2-4pm).
During their time here, their senior team will also be meeting with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Simon Community Northern Ireland and sharing stories from their collection at The Ulster Museum, in partnership with National Museums Northern Ireland.
Since 2018, the museum has collated the annual Dying Homeless Project, a memorial and monitoring project that gathers information about the deaths of people experiencing homelessness.
Based in London's Finsbury Park, the museum opened its first ever site this year.
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