A WEST Belfast man has bravely spoken about his personal struggles of being homeless in a bid to help others in the same situation.
Barry Carson (36) has been homeless for four years and in recent times has resorted to sleeping in his own car at night.
Barry, a father-of-two, takes his mind off his own struggles by volunteering at Corpus Christi Youth Centre.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Barry sat down and detailed some of his issues in recent years.
"I am originally from Newington but all my family are from West Belfast," he explained. "This is my second time in my life I have been homeless.
"The first time I had to change my area of choice to Derry and within four days got offered a place in Limavady. I got involved in youth work down there, went to tech, met a girl and had kids."
Barry said he eventually moved back to Belfast and was "in and out of temporary accommodation".
"I was in my mum’s for a bit. I then moved into accommodation in Saintfield with the Simon Community for a year.
"I was then offered a temporary flat in Lisburn which I thought would be a safe place especially for my kids. When I went to view it, it wasn’t in a great area and I couldn’t afford it. There were more negatives than positives.
"I couldn’t go back to the Simon Community because they said they were turning it into a women’s only hostel.
"I had no choice but to take the flat in Lisburn. I was there for eight months and there was constant anti-social behaviour. A local councillor and a mental health GP wrote me a letter urgently trying to get me moved out.
"At the same time, I was having real financial difficulties. It was costing me a fortune to run the car travelling between Belfast and Lisburn. I was in a really bad place and my mental health really suffered.
"I managed to get out of Lisburn and ever since have been sleeping either in my car or at a B&B on the Cliftonville Road."
"My stress and anxiety are all over the place"
Barry hopes that by talking about his own struggles that he can highlight homelessness and help others in a similar situation.
"The People’s Kitchen have been a big help to me. The work that they do is amazing," he added. "I don’t want anyone else to experience what I have. I am just run into the ground.
"This week, I have a meeting with the Housing Executive to see how many points I have and if they can get me anything – even temporary.
"All I ever wanted to do was live in West Belfast beside my family and support. I have tried everything and just feel like my life is spiralling more and more out of control. My stress and anxiety are all over the place.
"Volunteering at Corpus Christi keeps me going. I have been told I am very good at working with young people and they seem to get on with me as well.
"I also play the guitar for my mental health and run the Parkrun most Saturdays. I feel if I got my housing situation sorted I would be on the straight and narrow again.
"I just feel so helpless now. I am speaking out about my own situation in order to help others who might be in a similar situation."
Paul McCusker from homeless charity The People’s Kitchen, who are based on the Antrim Road and have been assisting Barry, said his case is typical of many homeless people in the city.
"Barry’s situation is typical of the issues many homeless people face, especially single males or females because it is very difficult to get them housed," he said. "Homelessness numbers in Belfast have trebled in the past year and we are seeing more and more people coming to us for help.
"When Barry came to us for help, he told me he has been sleeping in his car. His whole life and belongings are in his car.
"We have been working with him and he has been able to stay in a B&B when possible.
"The People’s Kitchen has spent over £33,000 in the past year on B&B’s and hotels. It highlights the failures of government to people like Barry.
"I will be supporting Barry this week at a meeting with the Housing Executive. It is important to step in and help Barry as much as possible during this difficult time for him.
"There needs to be more joined-up working between the Communities Minister and Health Minister and I will continue to push them on this."
