'˜There are empty beds in hostels '“ no-one should be living on the streets'

The manager of a Belfast hostel has said that given the wealth of homeless shelters in Northern Ireland, no one should be sleeping rough.
Manager of Utility Street Hostel Edmund McCulloughManager of Utility Street Hostel Edmund McCullough
Manager of Utility Street Hostel Edmund McCullough

Edmund McCullough, manager of Utility Street Men’s Hostel off the Donegall Road to the south of the city centre, was speaking as the The Northern Ireland Institute for the Disabled (NIID) announced a major new initiative to help the hostel’s residents transition to independent living.

Mr McCullough, who has worked with homeless people for 25 years, commented: “Our end goal is rehousing – be it social housing or private renting or to get people back with their families.

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“This new initiative called Keys To Life is about certified training to give these people confidence, to make them believe in themselves.

Utility Street resident Paul O'HanlonUtility Street resident Paul O'Hanlon
Utility Street resident Paul O'Hanlon

“What I say to everyone here if I have to deal with them over a disciplinary matter, breaking house rules, problems with alcohol, is: ‘If you don’t believe in yourself nobody else well’.”

Backed by the Big Lottery’s Awards for All scheme, the four month project will bring together 50 residents of the NIID’s Utility Street Hostel to take part in an accredited ‘Developing Skills for Life’ course which will include sports, leisure activities as well as a cookery programme and outdoor pursuits.

Mr McCullough said Christmas was an “extremely tough” time for homeless people: “I’ve worked every Christmas for the past 20 years. Not just here but in other hostels and with other organisations.

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“It’s a particularly difficult time for those who are left here. Many will negotiate a place back to their families for Christmas or Boxing Day and return here afterwards. But there are those for one reason or another have nowhere to go to. For those still here we will be providing that family atmosphere, love and support at Christmas.”

Picture by Philip Magowan / Press Eye.com


Emma Little-Pengelly (MP) and David McIlhaggar (NIID Chairman) officially launch the Utility Street Hostel's new Keys to Life projectPicture by Philip Magowan / Press Eye.com


Emma Little-Pengelly (MP) and David McIlhaggar (NIID Chairman) officially launch the Utility Street Hostel's new Keys to Life project
Picture by Philip Magowan / Press Eye.com Emma Little-Pengelly (MP) and David McIlhaggar (NIID Chairman) officially launch the Utility Street Hostel's new Keys to Life project

He continued: “Every year without fail in January and February we see a spike in admissions. Many have hung on over Christmas to not upset the family, but come January they want to make a clean breast of things.”

Of his experience working with homeless people over the years he said: “I have seen changes and trends though a lot of the core issues remain the same. We meet people who have fallen on very hard times, their marriage may have broken up, they’ve lost their homes, been evicted, lost their business, been declared bankrupt, they’ve maybe been in prison. What they have in common is they’re looking for a second chance.

“Many people who come in here have had little or no formal education, consequently they are unemployed. This new programme is trying to change that.”

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He added: “There are definitely more younger people on the streets. The chronic shortage of social housing in Northern Ireland is forcing young people out. The lack of suitable and affordable private rentals is alarming.”

In 1878 Utility Street Hostel was known as the Cripples' InstituteIn 1878 Utility Street Hostel was known as the Cripples' Institute
In 1878 Utility Street Hostel was known as the Cripples' Institute

Addressing the issue of people sleeping rough, he said: “There should be no need for anyone to be sleeping rough on the streets anywhere in Northern Ireland. We have the best homelessness facilities anywhere bar none across the British Isles.”

He said the people on the streets want to be ‘visible’ in the hope of getting money to feed their dependency on alcohol and drugs.

He said: “I have personally gone to people sleeping rough and invited them to sleep in a hostel and they won’t come, the Housing Executive have gone beyond the call of duty to get people off the streets.

“There are empty beds in hostels around Northern Ireland tonight so there should be no one on the streets.”