Latest news with #HomelessConnect
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
‘We need a multi-year budget': NI housing group warns funding uncertainty could hinder efforts to address crisis
According to NIFHA, a total of 1,410 new-build homes were completed by housing associations across the region in 2024/25. It added that the completed homes, all of which are already tenanted, exceeded the target of 1,400. Construction, meanwhile, has begun on 1,504 new homes. It comes after a challenging year for housing associations, which began with projections that just 500 new-starts would be possible due to budget constraints. Chief Executive of NIFHA Seamus Leheny said: 'It is far from ideal for housing associations to operate in an environment where they do not know their budget allocation until well past the midpoint of the financial year. 'At one stage it looked like only about 500 homes would be budgeted for, but housing associations have been working hard on the ground, actively building for the future, continuing to find sites and build new homes. 'Their commitment has been instrumental in reaching this year's targets, despite the many obstacles they face.' The more recent statistics show that the number of households with homelessness status in NI continues to rise On March 31, there were 49,083 households on the social housing waiting list, with 31,719 of those households having homelessness status. Mr Leheny said that in order to address the current housing crisis, a multi-year budget is required. The Programme for Government includes a target of 5,850 new social homes by 2027, meaning more than 2,000 new-starts each year. However, officials have warned the target is unlikely to be met under current budget constraints. Current projections suggest as few as 1,000 new-starts next year without additional funding. Mr Leheny said that current budgets 'fall far short of what we need to be building to address the huge housing waiting list'. 'We need a multi-year housing budget, which gives [NIFHA] the ability to plan and construct around 2,200 homes every year,' he added. 'We have seen the NI Executive give commitment to housing in the Programme for Government, but unless we see direct support in the social housing budget and action on the wastewater issue, this commitment means little. 'There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead, including seeing how the wastewater issues are resolved, the ongoing impact of inflation on the price of materials, and the increased national insurance costs on labour.' Nicola McCrudden, CEO of Homeless Connect, said that the provision of social housing is 'fundamentally important' to public policy. 'Social housing is central to achieving so many people's main aspirations and is centrally important to addressing homelessness,' she said. 'Simply put, you cannot prevent homelessness without an adequate supply of social housing. 'Failure over several years to properly invest in new social housing, and the infrastructure required to support it, is leaving many households struggling to find an affordable home or having to stay for lengthy periods in temporary accommodation.' Ms McCrudden added that meeting the target set out in the Programme for Government will require a higher number of new housing starts each year. 'The Department for Communities has recently indicated that the initial capital allocations provided to it will only allow for up to 1,000 new social homes' she added. 'This is not enough to turn the curve on the rising need for temporary accommodation. 'We will continue to advocate for the Executive to live up to the commitment it has made to this society in the Programme for Government.' A spokesperson for the Department for Communities (DfC) said that minister Gordon Lyons 'supports the need for multi-year budgets, which would allow some clarity of funding'. They added: 'DfC received an allocation of £100m specifically for the Social Housing Development Programme. 'This is being used to fund commitments carried into the 2025/26 financial year, of £105m from schemes that commenced in previous years. 'In addition, the minister has allocated over 80% of his remaining available capital funding to new-builds, with a further allocation of £63m.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Giving critical services needed today for a better tomorrow
EVANSVILLE, Ind (WEHT) – People that are experiencing homelessness or close to homelessness got the chance to get out of the rain and to gain accessibility to critical services at the Old National Events Plaza. The ONEP was the location for the 2025 Homeless Connect of Southwest Indiana for people in need to talk to and receive immediate service across a wide range of topics. Some services that were provided at the event included: Employment & Education Financial Government Assistance Veterans Services Health Screenings Housing Legal and tax advice Parenting resources Re-entry (after leaving jail) services Hospitality services, such as haircuts and foot care. Lunch for guests, volunteers and service providers Officials described near-homeless as those living in poverty, those without stable housing, those living paycheck to paycheck, those at high-risk of being without a home in the near/immediate future due to an inability to pay for costs. Other examples of near homeless include job loss, domestic violence situations, medical problems and mental health issues. Evansville City Councilman and Aurora Executive Director Zac Heronemus says the event is a 'testament to the community' and ensures Homeless Connect gets people the resources they need. 'I think this is just a glimpse of the caring nature of the community here in Evansville and southwestern Indiana,' he said. 'Homeless Connect opens a lot of doors and ideally gets folks connected where opportunities might not have been before. Thinking this event being an annual event is just the tip of the iceberg of the caring compassion nature of our community.' Heronemus called the situation of Evansville's homeless situation a 'complex issue'. 'What we know here in the city of Evansville and southwestern Indiana is we have the highest per capita rate of homelessness in the state of Indiana,' he said. 'What does that mean? On any given night, we have 500 individuals that are either on the street or in our shelter system, but when we look at data over the past two years, approximately 2,800 unique individuals in 2023 and 2024 have either previously experienced homelessness or actively experiencing homelessness or have just stepped out of the homeless experience. '2,000 unique individuals have been in our shelter system in 2023 and 2024. In between 2023 and 2024, over 1,500 left and we didn't see them again, so they were replaced by individuals and families that are either experiencing one day or 365 days of homelessness. It is a significant opportunity for the community and for us to convene together and improve people's lives and help ensure that folks don't dip into the homeless experience or when they are, we have the robust services available to address it.' Heronemus explained further saying poverty is the biggest driver in Evansville and other communities across the country. 'People that are housing insecure, especially in the state of Indiana, where there are no tenants' rights laws, evictions play a big role,' he said. 'It's not what everybody thinks that it is on the surface level. It's not all mental health. It's not all substance use disorder. That is a small part of the reason why people experience homelessness in our community, but what I tell folks all the time is there's a myriad of reasons. Everything from health care needs that are unmet to people being catfished out of their money to being on that cusp of barely making ends meet and having difficult financial situations that spiral out of control. It's a myriad of reasons, but there's a myriad of pathways out of it.' Despite it, Heronemus mentioned several positive moments that the event has had on individuals. 'In past years, we've seen reports of folks that came in here to get medical screenings and having emergency and acute medical responses taking place,' he said. 'We've seen folks have access to housing opportunities, folks gaining dignity back through the haircut services or the eyeglass services, a multitude of services being carried out today that improve people's lives, but more importantly, open up doors for greater improvement and upward mobility moving forward.' Officials state this event has historically served more than 600 individuals and families. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeless Connect to be held at Old National Event Plaza next week
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – The Evansville and Vanderburgh County Commission on Homelessness will be hosting the annual Homeless Connect of Southwest Indiana on April 3 at Old National Events Plaza. Officials say the event brings together service providers, community members and volunteers to offer employment support, healthcare and housing assistance, legal support and more to those experiencing homelessness. Officials say the event can also provide support for families facing financial hardship, housing instability or barriers to essential services. 'Every year, the Homeless Connect highlights the city's ongoing commitment to addressing homelessness and poverty in our community,' said Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry. 'More than 60 vendors will be on-site this year, and each one will be providing a direct service to those in need.' Pre-registration for the event is encouraged, but not required. For more information, including a full list of free services available at the event, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
17th Homeless Connect event is set for April 3 in Evansville
EVANSVILLE — The 17th annual "one day, one stop, one mission" Homeless Connect of Southwest Indiana resource fair is set for 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on April 3 at the Old National Bank Events Plaza in Downtown Evansville. The intent of the event is to assist "anyone in need — not just the homeless, but anyone struggling to access resources," states the Evansville-Vanderburgh Commission on Homelessness. "Last year's Homeless Connect helped almost 700 people from the tri-state area," states the local agency. "These individuals received lunch, basic health care, eye exams, basic dental care, haircuts, legal aid, assistance with housing and utilities… "Homeless Connect is brought to you by the Commission on Homeless with the help of many sponsors. Our event is self-funded, so we rely heavily on the generosity of these sponsors, along with public donations through the commission's new Dignity Fund." More: 'I've been surviving': Aurora surveys Evansville's homeless, offers food, resources More than 60 local agencies are expected to provide free, on-site services at the Homeless Connect event. "These services are normally only available online or spread out in agencies across the city," states a Homeless Connect announcement. "At this event, all these services will be accessible in one place on the same day!" The Homeless Connect announcement included a lengthy list of services that will be provided on April 3, including legal advice, employment services, haircuts and health screenings. More information is available at Donations can be made directly to support the Homeless Connect event at This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: 17th Homeless Connect event is set for April 3 in Evansville
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Women Empowering Women event to take place in Jasper
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- An upcoming networking event to foster connection and create business opportunities for women will take place next month. 17th annual Homeless Connect event to return next month The event will take place at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Jasper on March 13 from 11:30 am to 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The event will focus on reflecting on participant's individual journeys, celebrating achievements and envisioning futures. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
