Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín has called for the establishment of a cross-party delegation to meet with frontline homelessness services, aiming to create a comprehensive strategy to end rough sleeping in Northern Ireland.

Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, the North Belfast representative highlighted the dire conditions faced by vulnerable citizens, particularly during the harsh winter months. She emphasised that many individuals with complex needs feel they have no alternative but to sleep in car parks, under bridges, and in shop doorways due to a critical lack of emergency shelter.

The MLA paid tribute to the work of organisations like the People's Kitchen, the Welcome Centre, and the Housing Executive, describing their efforts as a vital "lifeline." However, she warned that current service provision is struggling to meet the scale of the challenge. Carál Ní Chuilín MLA stated: "I have witnessed first-hand the numbers of people with very complex needs, who feel that they have no option other than to sleep on the street, especially in severe weather during the winter. To say that the People's Kitchen and other providers of support for the homeless are providing a lifeline is an understatement. I have been out with the People's Kitchen and spoke with people who are sleeping in car parks, under bridges and in shop doorways. They have all experienced first-hand the lack of access to emergency shelter."

The proposed delegation would seek to engage directly with service providers to understand the specific hurdles they face and to develop a roadmap for better service provision. The MLA insisted that this must include short, medium, and long-term planning to ensure that living on the street is never seen as the only option.

She concluded: "I am calling for a cross-party delegation meeting with providers of support services to homeless people... to hear the challenges facing people sleeping on the streets. But also to work out how we can have better service provision including short, medium and long-term plans to ensure that no-one feels living on the street is their only option."

The call comes at a time of heightened pressure on the sector, with recent figures from Homeless Connect and the Housing Executive showing that the number of households with homelessness status has reached record highs across nearly all council areas in Northern Ireland.