HOMELESSNESS in Belfast is currently at an all time high, with a top charity chief saying the situation in North and West Belfast has reached a crisis point.

Jim Dennison, Chief Executive of the Simon Community said: “We have never seen things so bad. Homelessness in North and West Belfast is at crisis point, and like elsewhere is heading towards a homelessness disaster with resources extremely stretched and many of those in acute housing need.

"Belfast Council area already has one of the highest numbers of people experiencing homelessness, with seven out of every 1,000 people without a permanent or safe place to live. North and West Belfast are recognised as the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland and official figures show that housing need is at its greatest in these two areas, with housing demand outstripping supply and very limited numbers of new social housing being built."

The charity are based in several locations throughout Belfast, but have noticed the crisis has become acute at their centres in North and West Belfast.

Jim continued: "The Simon Community NI has two temporary accommodation sites in North Belfast and family flats in the West with capacity for 24 families and up to 96 children, all of which are at capacity with demand 15 times greater than supply.

"Sadly we expect to see that demand rise significantly in the New Year as the cost of living crisis really begins to bite with people finding themselves unable to access private rent accommodation due to spiralling rents.”

Asked what solutions need to be taken to reduce the levels of homelessness and address this crisis, Mr Dennison said urgent political action and leadership is needed.

"We need urgent political action to address the looming disaster and protect the most vulnerable," he said. "Clear political leadership is required together with money and resources channelled into building social, affordable houses. We need a functioning NI Assembly to jumpstart the political and policy limbo and allocate funding to homeless strategies. We also need increased funding to provide additional temporary accommodation.

"We can make a difference in 2023 but we need a more linked-up strategic Executive which thinks differently and acts differently in order to reverse the looming homelessness disaster.”