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A FAMILY FROM Limerick City slept under a bridge after being evicted from their home over the weekend.
John Johnson, 54, wept and explained that he and his sons were left “walking the streets” after sheriffs called his home in Assumpta Park last Saturday.
The family said they had not been able to find emergency accommodation due to a lack of available sleeping places.
“I have three children living with me and one from his girlfriend. The sheriffs came in Saturday morning and told us to get out of the house, ”Johnson said, wiping away tears.
“I asked them if they would give us an hour and they said no, they would give us half an hour. They said we were going and that was it. “
“I asked them what’s up with Covid-19 and they said we had to go and they were just doing their job. They told us to get out of the house. “
“We left and we have nowhere left to go, we are on the street. It’s ridiculous, especially with the pandemic. “
Johnson claimed the sheriffs were carrying a battering ram, but didn’t use it because he let them in when they called around 9 a.m. last Saturday.
“I worked my whole life in the bar trade, I was in a community employment scheme for three years and I got another job in a bar. I was there for a week and it closed due to covid, ”Johnson said.
“I am entitled to the weekly covid payment, but have not received it in two weeks.”
“I’ve never been in this situation before, it’s heartbreaking. I’ve worked my whole life. “
Johnson said his only current option was to “walk the streets.”
He and his sons David and Adam (both 29), as well as David’s girlfriend Debbie Moloney (36), huddled wrapped in blankets under the Sarsfield Bridge on Saturday night and Sunday night.
They slept a few feet from where John’s brother Jimmy committed suicide ten years ago on the River Shannon.
“It was very hard, my mother Rita also went to the river. Jimmy went in first and my mother couldn’t hold it and she went in. My nephew Ross also went to the river, ”he yelled.
“I’m freezing. I don’t know what to do. My heart is breaking,” he added.
Last February, the Supreme Court ruled that a financial fund was entitled to possession of Johnson’s home under a “life” mortgage obtained by Johnson’s father, Larry, eight years before his death in 2015.
Johnson’s late father had obtained a “life” or “reverse” mortgage in 2007 as a condition for obtaining a loan of 52,700 euros.
However, John Johnson said he cannot repay the loan.
“It is my dad’s house, our family’s home for the last 60 years. My dad had Alzheimer’s disease and I took care of him for the last five years of his life. “
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The Johnsons said they were “intimidated” because the sheriffs were dressed in dark clothing, wore hats and masks, and sprayed property, clothing, beds and furniture with bleach.
Local independent councilor Frankie Daly said he was trying to help find accommodation for the family.
“I think it’s shocking that in the middle of a pandemic, a vulnerable man and his family fell asleep under a bridge,” said Cllr Daly.
“I’ve been in contact with the (Council’s) Homeless Action Team. Over the weekend (the Johnsons) have had a difficult time reaching the emergency number. There is a resource problem there and I think we need more funds to be able to house people in hotels. “
Yesterday, the family made a commitment to the City and County of Limerick to try to find emergency shelter.
A spokesperson for Limerick City Council and the county responded that the local authority “does not comment on individual cases because it does not believe in discussing a client’s personal matters in a public forum.”
However, they confirmed that the City Council has made a commitment to the family and that “an evaluation of the client has now been carried out.”
“The current situation with Covid-19 has been challenging for the provision of homeless services, but the Limerick Homeless Action Team is working to ensure spaces for all who come forward,” the spokesperson said.
According to the latest figures, there were 2,654 applicants on the City Council’s housing waiting list.
128 individuals and 30 families accessed homeless services locally.
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