Final year Housing Management students from the University of Ulster have joined forces with the Simon Community to help raise awareness of homelessness in Northern Ireland

The students have taken a lead role in the organisation of a major housing conference in Derry city this week. The conference is the culmination of a series of events to mark Northern Ireland’s first ever Homelessness Awareness Week.

Homelessness is a growing problem in Northern Ireland. The latest figures compiled by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the agency responsible for recording the level of homelessness, show that over 17,000 households presented as homeless to NIHE last year. Over 3,500 people contacted the Simon Community, with over half of them aged between 16 and 25 years of age.

Carol O’Brien, Chief Executive of Simon Community in Northern Ireland says that Homelessness Awareness Week will help improve understanding about the issues around homelessness.

“When it comes to homelessness, Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, is behind some other European countries where citizens have a constitutional right to a roof over their heads.

“We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to a home. This week’s conference ‘A Rights Based Approach to Housing’ will examine the impact of any proposed Bill of Rights on existing housing and homelessness issues from local, national and international perspectives.

“The Housing Management students’ involvement in the conference is an excellent opportunity gain valuable experience and at the same time develop a better understanding of all the issues surrounding the Bill of Rights,” she said.

Spokesperson for the students, Jonathan Quinn agreed that getting involved in the conference was a valuable experience, albeit one with a steep learning curve.

“Our role has been to liaise with the service users of the Simon Community to organise the conference and ensure that everything goes smoothly from preparing the venue and helping to draw up the programme to organising publicity for the event conference,” he said. 

Speakers at the conference, which is aimed primarily at housing professionals and students, will include key speakers in the housing and human rights field.

Eamonn O’ Neill, Human Rights Commission will give an overview of Human Rights; Carole O’Byran, Simon Community Northern Ireland, will paint the broad picture of Housing and Homelessness in Northern Ireland; Noeleen Hartigan, Simon Communities of Ireland, will discuss Housing Rights; Professor Joe Doherty, University of St Andrews, Scotland will consider Housing Rights from a European Perspective and Brian Rowntree, chairman of the Norhtern Ireland Housing Executive will talk on Developing Sustainable Communities.

For further information about the conference please contact: Bill Manwaring at the Simon Community Northern Ireland on 02890 232882 or 07968416654.
 

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter