Issues

Stella Maris profile: from chaos to calm

Stella Maris - From Chaos to calm Stella Maris is Northern Ireland’s only wet hostel for the homeless. Emma Blee visits to find out how it works.

In 2005 Depaul Ireland opened its first ‘wet hostel’ in Belfast to accommodate street drinkers who were sleeping rough. Five years on and more than 104 people have been through its doors. It remains the only hostel of its kind in Northern Ireland.

Located on Garmoyle Street, near the docks, the hostel offers care and assistance to those who need it from a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. It caters for 23 homeless people and operates on a ‘harm reduction model’ which encourages residents to reduce their alcohol intake alongside a plan of medical care, healthy eating and activities such as art and gardening. Stella Maris is a long-term hostel and residents can stay for up to two years.

David Carroll, Depaul’s Director of Services, says that the hostel was set up to tackle “a rough sleeping situation within Belfast”.

There were issues with people suffering from “chronic alcohol difficulties and being accommodated in hostel accommodation”. Carroll says that these people are the most excluded in society.

The Housing Executive provide funding for the hostel and it is included in its overall plan for homelessness in Belfast but the hostel is actually managed by staff from Depaul.

“It was a lot of work getting the building fit for purpose, in the sense that it was designed, structured and set up to work with this particular group,” says Carroll.

He adds: “It was a real challenge at the start to establish the ethos but we have managed to set up a successful approach to our work and it is set in stone now.”

All residents who live in the hostel are referred by the Housing Executive. Individuals can make a homeless application, which is then assessed by a multi-disciplinary team to decide if they meet the criteria for Stella Maris.

“The hostel staff is made up of a team of support workers and each resident has a key worker allocated to them,” says Lawlor. “The key workers support the resident in whatever their needs are but because this is a wet hostel, the biggest focus is on reducing the harm of alcohol.”

While it is a stressful job, Lawlor says it is rewarding: “People come here who have been living on the street for up to 30 years and their life is in chaos. They are sick and beaten down, body and soul. They come here and we try to rebuild them and allow them to make choices without judging them.”Stella Maris - From Chaos to calm

She adds: “When people come here you are giving them a home. We give them security, support and understanding and we care about them. They can leave their problems outside the door and work through them. That’s rewarding for me to see them emerge from chaos to calm.”

While residents are allowed to drink, this is done in a planned and controlled way. For example, some residents are allowed one drink every two hours.

“People are allowed to drink on site but in a dry hostel that level of tolerance is not the same. Although this is a wet hostel it is not managed in a chaotic way, it really is a calm and thoughtful place,” comments Carroll.

While some residents stay for more than two years, Lawlor says there have been plenty of people who have moved on to own their own home.

“We have to be realistic. These people have been drinking for many years and they may never sustain tenancy. Some may move into supportive accpmmodation and some live here longer. But some people have recovered and continue to do well. We look at what is appropriate for them and what their housing need is.”

With budget cuts, Carroll says funding is a concern: “Of course it is a difficult time but we are working closely with the Housing Executive who see this particular unit as part of their overall plan and strategically relevant. We’re hoping that they continue to focus their resources here.”

Down the line, Carroll says he would like to see solutions “in the community for people who want to continue drinking”. However, in the meantime, he says they will continue their work and provide an example to others that “you can work really successfully with this group and there can be positive consequences for individuals if you work with a certain philosophy”.

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