A Clare woman who’s recently begun life on the streets claims she doesn’t deserve what she’s going through.
With homelessness continuing to skyrocket nationwide, former Kilrush resident Michelle Coughlan is just one of many Clare people who now find themselves without a roof over their heads.
Speaking on Clare FM’s Morning Focus in May, Michelle told of being served with a notice to quit by her landlord after falling into rental arrears of €2,500.
She claims this situation came to be as she stopped paying rent while living in the apartment due to issues around dampness which weren’t rectified and aggravated her COPD.
Since May 15th, she’s been living in a tent in parks and fields in various locations such as Ennis and Quilty.
She says that while she acknowledges she made a mistake by allowing herself to go into arrears, she doesn’t think it’s fair that she’s now living in such a vulnerable situation.
As Michelle is currently sleeping rough and only entered into homelessness in recent weeks, she’s not included in the 87 adults recorded as living in homelessness in Clare at the end of April.
The Department of Housing’s latest report shows while the number residing in homeless accommodation fell by three last month, it’s risen by 10% in a 12-month period.
With shelters at capacity across the region, Midwest Simon is proposing the construction of modular homes as a stopgap.
The charity’s CEO, Niall Garvey, believes its a common sense solution that wouldn’t take long to implement.
