Justin became homeless after a family relationship breakdown and spent about 10 months sofa-surfing before finding accommodation at the Simon Community in Lisburn
“Hidden” homelessness is used to describe people who are homeless but who do not engage with statutory bodies or access public support and therefore do not show up on official statistics, for example because they are staying with family or friends, “sofa-surfing”, or sleeping in cars.
In the North, the research found the most common reason for hidden homelessness was the loss of a home from the private rental market, which it said was likely due to “surging costs” in the private rental market which was making rent unaffordable for those on lower incomes. Justin became homeless after a family relationship breakdown and spent about 10 months sofa-surfing before finding accommodation at the Simon Community in Lisburn, Co Antrim.
The charity supports more than 500 people per day in Northern Ireland and Mr Dennison said it was currently “at capacity” in its temporary accommodation units.