Minister urged to intervene to save women’s homeless hostel

A Stormont minister has been urged to step in to save a Belfast hostel for vulnerable women.

Trade union representatives joined staff from Regina Coeli House at Parliament Buildings where they presented a petition carrying almost 12,000 signatures.

Last year it was announced that the facility in west Belfast, which is Northern Ireland’s only female-only homeless hostel, would close due to its state of disrepair.

Staff have been staging a work-in at the hostel in a bid to secure its future.

The hostel is owned by the Catholic organisation the Legion of Mary.

A management committee runs the facility.

The event at Stormont on Tuesday was staged by the unions Unite and NIC-ICTU.

Hostel workers Emma McCann and Bernadette Herald handed over the petition to the minister.

Taryn Trainor, regional equality officer with Unite, said: “It is vital that Minister for Communities Deirdre Hargey intervenes to ensure that this vital provision for vulnerable women is retained.

“She has lead responsibility for the provision of supported accommodation. It is concerning given the surge in reports of violence against women as a result of the Covid pandemic that we are looking at the prospect of this service collapsing.

“Regina Coeli House has provided the space needed for women who are homeless, have been abused, have addictions or mental health difficulties or who have been trafficked. There is simply nothing similar to it in terms of the support it provides to vulnerable women.”

Owen Reidy, ICTU assistant general secretary, said: “These determined and compassionate women workers and their campaign has received huge levels of public support both locally and around the world.

“More than 12,000 people signed the megaphone petition to save Regina Coeli House.

“It is time Minister Hargey and the Department for Communities reinstates this service for vulnerable women and these workers.”

After a meeting with the representatives, the minister’s department tweeted that she was disappointed at the decision to close the hostel.

“The Minister expressed her solidarity with the hostel workers & her commitment to the women it housed,” the tweet added.

The Legion of Mary has been contacted for comment.