No homes for women fleeing violence

Galway's Rape Crisis Centre has had to pay for women to stay in tourist hostels or bed and breakfasts after reported assaults, and in some cases staff members have had to accommodate victims in the centre's office overnight.

This is one of the findings of a report presented by the Galway Simon Community last week to the five women local authority representatives in the city and county.

Some 59 per cent of women who flee violent relationships are forced to return home because of a lack of suitable accommodation, according to the report.

For most of those, the decision to go in the first place was not taken lightly - victims of domestic violence put up with it for an average of seven years, according to national and international findings.

The issue of consequent homelessness is urgent but "invisible", Galway Simon's director, Mr Padraic Kenna, said at the function last Friday in NUI Galway's Centre for Human Rights.

Most homeless women are not easily identifiable, as they make arrangements or find temporary accommodation. Homelessness in Galway is a "broad concept", Mr Kenna emphasised, and is not just about "sleeping rough out in Eyre Square".

Young women are also vulnerable. For instance, in the 12 months from May 1999 to May 2000, some 75 single women under 25 presented themselves to the Galway Diocesan Youth Services. Of these, 45 have remained homeless throughout the year.

The only refuge available to girls in this situation is one which stipulates that they have to be off the premises between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Simon presented five women politicians with the document, gave them 10 minutes to read it and five minutes to respond.

The document is based on the findings of the first conference dedicated to housing and women, which Galway Simon hosted earlier in May.

Four of the five women members of Galway Corporation and County Council rose to the occasion, with three - Ms Connie Ni Fhatharta (FF), chairwoman of Galway County Council, Senator Margaret Cox (FF) and Alderman Catherine Connolly (Lab), both of Galway Corporation - giving commitments to do what they could.

Ms Terry O'Flaherty (PD) said she would study the report, while Fine Gael city councillor Angela Lupton failed to arrive in time for the presentation.

While domestic violence has been a trigger for many of the women caught in this situation, the crisis in the housing sector has exacerbated the problem.

Many local authorities are not aware of the particular circumstances and needs around women's homelessness and housing difficulties, the report found.

At Government level the situation is no different. The recently-published integrated strategy report on homelessness included a mere five lines on homeless women in its 65 pages, Mr Kenna said.

This could be compounded if the action plans, which are due to be drawn up on foot of the strategy, do not address this specific issue.

The report urges the "widest possible" participation and consultation in formulating the action plans, and also calls for independent monitoring.

It says the equal-opportunities dimension must be incorporated into all policies and planning of homeless services - and the Equal Status Act, due to become law, will insist on this.

It says openness and transparency must be a prerequisite for planning services to meet the needs.

It also recommends immediate provision of transitional and move-on housing, simultaneously with emergency services. Adequate funding and support must be provided for organisations working with homeless women, it says.

In many cases, homeless women are treated as "less than citizens" and have no complaints system to fall back on. It is "social exclusion at its worst", Mr Kenna said. Senator Margaret Cox (FF) said the challenge for public representatives was to take the document and follow it through.

Alderman Catherine Connolly (Labour) said many of the findings "rang bells" with her as a former psychologist with the Western Health Board. In spite of Government programmes, the waiting list for local authority housing would be even longer by this time next year.

Ms Connolly urged local authorities to engage in greater consultation; to undertake staff training in the context of greater staffing levels and more funding; and she expressed support for an independent body to monitor action plans.

The fact that we did not see homeless women was no surprise to her, she added. "We don't really see women in our society."

Galway County Council's chairwoman, Ms Connie Ni Fhatharta, said the vulnerability of rural women was of particular concern to her, and she had seen an alarming rise in the number of single women and single parents requiring accommodation since she was elected in 1991.

Ms Ni Fhatharta said she did not wish to find fault with the Government or local authorities on this, but reserved her criticism for those communities which "did not wish to be involved in social housing or in providing hostels, and did not even want other people moving into their area".

Ms Terry O'Flaherty (PD) said she was pleased to report that Galway Corporation had taken "major strides" in providing emergency accommodation for women with the acquisition of a bed-and-breakfast facility. Housing and Women is published by the Galway Simon Community, with support from the Combat Poverty Agency