Belfast Marks Homelessness Awareness Week

Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray has marked the start of Homelessness Awareness Week by hosting a breakfast event in City Hall.

The event, organised with Homeless Connect, honoured the work of frontline staff supporting those experiencing homelessness.

Representatives from organisations like DePaul, Drug Outreach Team, Extern, Simon Community, and The Welcome Organisation attended the event. Guests heard powerful testimonies from women experiencing homelessness through an art piece created by the Women's Advocacy project.

The event also focused on the progress of the Complex Lives initiative, a joint effort to address chronic homelessness. Since October 2021, the initiative has supported over 150 individuals by providing tailored support and a dedicated point of contact.

Speaking at the event, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, said: "The number of people with homelessness status in Belfast has more than doubled over the last decade, which is a truly shocking statistic.

"But the solution isn't as simple as just providing more housing – the reasons why people become homeless are much more complex than that, so the response needs to be multi-faceted too, supporting people in many different, and varied, ways to get back on their feet and stay on track, knowing that they have the individual support they require.

"The Complex Lives project is doing just that – offering dedicated, individual support which is tailored to the person, guiding and supporting them with everything they need, not just housing, but help with addiction, education, mental health and lots more.

"It's a fantastic initiative and, having worked in the homeless sector myself, I have first-hand experience of the challenges faced by those living without a home of their own and know the difference a tailored approach like this can make. "Today has been an opportunity to acknowledge the great work that is being done, day in, day out, to support those who need help. I believe the progress that has been made in recent years will continue to grow, with the support of all partners around the table today. On behalf of our council, I thank all those in the sector for the work they do."

Maria Jennings CBE, Chairperson of Homeless Connect, said "We are honoured to have had the support of the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, today as we begin Homelessness Awareness Week with a breakfast event at the City Hall.

"The recent homelessness statistics have revealed the devastating impact homelessness is having on our society and the urgent need for change. The annual Homelessness Awareness Week, which this year is themed 'Time for Change', is a grassroots effort involving organisations—many of them charities—that independently plan and host events to draw attention to homelessness across the country.

"This year's campaign which has also drawn the support of The Community Foundation Northern Ireland, is focused on the rapidly rising number of individuals in Northern Ireland who are experiencing homelessness, aiming to raise awareness about its root causes and inspire collective action to tackle the issue." 

Kerry Rogan, Lead Project Officer for Complex Lives with Northern Ireland Housing Executive, said: "Homelessness Awareness Week gives all of us engaged in protecting and supporting those experiencing homelessness an opportunity to reflect on the work of the past year and look ahead to meet the challenges facing us in the year to come.

"Complex Lives is one of the most important strands of our strategic approach to tackling and preventing chronic homelessness. We remain convinced the 'whole system' approach is the best way to tackle chronic homelessness and we pay tribute to our partner organisations who engage so positively in the Complex Lives initiative.

"In 2025, we will continue to ensure that the most vulnerable customers, those in need of the most support, those who find it difficult to access services, receive the level and standard of support they deserve and that they continue to be prioritised by our organisations and our partners to break the cycle of homelessness."