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10 Jan 2026

Many are rough sleeping in Waterford amid freezing conditions, says homeless unit

Waterford Helping Homeless have reported that many of their service users have had to spend the night in unsuitable sleeping conditions during extremely cold weather

Many are rough sleeping in Waterford amid freezing conditions, says homeless unit

'It could be any of us'- Waterford Helping the Homeless

Reporter:

Rachel Kavanagh

09 Jan 2026 9:00 AM

A homeless unit in Waterford has reported a large number of people who use their services sleeping in unsuitable conditions during status yellow ice weather warnings where temperatures hit below freezing.
In a recent Facebook post, Waterford Helping the Homeless shared the dinners they are providing to their service users during this time and said: "it was exactly what our service users needed to warm them up for the night ahead.
"It was a very cold night last night, with temperatures down to -3° but many of our service users still spent the night in unsuitable sleeping conditions - in the park, in doorways or in tents so there is a demand for tents and sleeping bags and other camping equipment like sleeping mats.
"We're open Monday to Saturday 11am to 1pm and Saturday and Sunday 5pm to 7pm if anyone would like to drop in any of the items above and any other clothing, footwear, personal care items and toiletries or food items".
The unit also has a GoFundMe set up by a lady named Susie who helps run the Waterford Helping the Homeless unit in railway square.
The unit is open 365 days a year providing hot food, drinks, clothes tents , sleeping bags, toiletries, and everything else that a homeless person needs.
"Apart from that we offer a warm , comfortable, safe space that the most vulnerable of people can come and be seen. We have built friendships with people who have fallen on hard times, people who suffer with mental health and others that are in addiction and need someone to help them get there lives back.
"Our unit runs solely on donations from the public. As we head into winter we need all the help we can get in order to sustain our much needed service .
"A place that broken people meet and get the help that they long for , it's not just about the food we serve but its about sitting with these people and making them see that there is hope.
"It could be any of us in this situation with the way cost of living has impacted many families. With your help our friends will have a place to sit in from the wet and wind , the ice and cold and can be guaranteed of a hot meal and a listening ear in a very busy world were sometimes they feel forgotten or overlooked.
"We are like a big family in our little unit and work tirelessly in order to make sure our friends feel like they belong in the world. Please help us help them, as you may remember our service users tents were cut up by people who dosnt understand what these guys already go through, we need to buy new tents on a regular basis and the funds raised from this will help us do that," Susie said on the GoFundMe.

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