Cork woman considering living in derelict house because she cannot find housing

The 41-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Corkman that due to a relationship breakdown and long-term mental health issues she suffers from, she moved from north Cork to a stay in the home of someone she knows in Limerick.

She said she has lived there for the past year but now she must leave because family members of the owner of the house are moving in. Though she was given a good notice period, she said she has really struggled to find somewhere to live and is worried that she could become homeless.

“It’s really daunting. I knew [my stay in my current accommodation] would come to an end, but I didn’t think it would be so soon,” the woman said.

“I feel scared because the world of housing is a nightmare.”

The woman, who moved to Ireland from England in 2008, said that she had lived in the north Cork area for over five years but due to the personal issues she encountered last year, she found herself “in a hole” she couldn’t get out of.

"I’m not bad enough to be in hospital and I’m not well enough to work, so I just fall through the cracks. There’s not enough supported living spaces and it’s too easy to be disconnected from services,” the woman said.

She said that an acquaintance with a home in Limerick put her up to help her recover from her mental health difficulties, and this is where she has lived since. Earlier this year, however, she said she was told that she must leave by this Sunday, May 5, but it has proved very difficult to line up anywhere to stay due to the state of the current housing market.

The woman said that she has applied for social housing in County Cork, but she may not get a place to stay through this for years. She said that because she is on the Cork housing list, Limerick County Council officials said they cannot help her.

“They haven’t been mean to me or anything, it’s just that everyone is totally out of depth because they are so overwhelmed with the amount of people [looking for housing],” the woman said.

The woman, who said she is currently on a weekly social welfare payment of €232 and has access to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, said the private housing market has not been fruitful either.

“It’s almost impossible to find anything. Things go in a second,” she said.

The woman said that she does not want to be picky or ungrateful, but she has been “shocked” by the state of some of the accommodation she has seen advertised online.

She has also found that most housing supply consists of houses with multiple bedrooms rather than apartments or studios, which would suit her much better as a single woman. Her lack of a car and the mental health issues she suffers from, including depression and anxiety, mean that she finds it difficult to go to viewings too.

“Mental and physical health is probably hardest thing for me, when I’m in a dark place I don’t have it in me,” the woman explained.

She said that she has had discussions with homeless services in Cork but she is holding out hope that one of two potential housing options may work out.

After posting about her situation on Facebook, she said a woman reached out to her offering her a room to stay in after Sunday, although this is not set in stone

Another option would see her take to a derelict house that is owned by a friend of hers.

“At least it’s shelter, and its summer now,” the woman said.

She said she has donated most of her belongings to charity, which was “heart wrenching,” and is now just left with her clothes ahead of having to leave her accommodation with no certainty about whether or not she will have somewhere to stay next week.

“I feel a lot of shame,” the woman said.

"I wish I wasn’t in this hole.”