Peter McVerry Trust operates a Mid East regional office in Johnstown, Naas, Co Kildare. The office serves the Kildare, Meath and Wicklow area.

The charity provides number of services across the Mid East region. These include Housing First, housing services, homeless services, addiction and recovery services, Aftercare housing and resettlement services.

In 2020, we supported 508 unique individuals across our services in the Mid East.

Housing First

As the provider of Housing First in the Mid East Region, Peter McVerry Trust are working closely with Kildare County Council, Meath County Council and Wicklow County Council to deliver the Housing First services required in the area.

These services include housing for the most complex and long term cases of homelessness, as well as wraparound services like mental health and addiction support, education, training and employment, with the ultimate objective of helping people live independently in their own home and integrate into their respective communities.

In 2020, with a Year One target of 19 tenancies, Peter McVerry Trust created 18 Housing First tenancies in the Mid East Region and continued to provide pathways out of homelessness for some of society’s most vulnerable people.

Housing

We provide social housing and tenancy support through our Housing with Supports team in the Mid-East region.

In March 2020, we opened a CAS for Care unit in Co. Wicklow, the first housing unit of its kind in the county. It will provide a home for a young person ageing out of State care and will be key in preventing youth homelessness in Wicklow.

Watch this video of Anne-Marie, who was a resident of our family service in Athy, Co Kildare, with her two daughters. She has since moved on to her own housing and talks about the support she received to move on.

Homeless Services

Kildare

Peter McVerry Trust has been providing emergency homeless accommodation in Kildare since December 2014. We provide accommodation to over 50 single people, and seven families, across our services in Athy, Naas and Newbridge.

Out of Hours Emergency Freephone

The Out of Hours Information and Advice Service for Kildare is operated by Peter McVerry Trust on behalf of Kildare County Council.

This service offers information and advice to those at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness in Kildare. The freephone number operates outside of Kildare County Council’s office hours and at weekends.

• Freephone: 1800 804 307
• Freephone Operating Hours: The freephone number is active from 5 pm – 9 pm Monday to Friday. It operates from Noon – 5 pm Saturdays and Sundays.

Meath

Peter McVerry Trust began operating homeless services in Co. Meath in late 2018. As of February 2019, the charity has one homeless service, a Family Hub in Navan. Additionally, the charity is responsible for the extreme weather response in the county. In the event of a red weather alert, the charity will carry out an emergency response to protect people sleeping rough in Co. Meath.

Youth Aftercare

In the lead up to the development of Rebuilding Ireland, Peter McVerry Trust successfully lobbied for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to develop a specific Capital Assistance Scheme for young people exiting State care. This proposal was accepted and integrated into Rebuilding Ireland.

As a result TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency, undertake annual reviews of the risk of young people who are approaching their 18th birthday at risk of ending up in homelessness and in need of aftercare accommodation.

At present, Peter McVerry Trust provides aftercare housing and supports to young people across Kildare and Wicklow.

Learn more about our aftercare work here.