Daisyhouse Housing Association

Daisyhouse Housing Association is a 31 year old, registered charity and Approved Housing Body supporting women out of homelessness. We do this through the provision of Supported Temporary Accommodation combined with uniquely tailored individual Personal Support Programmes to women who are homeless. We provide this service for 18 month periods so they can break the cycle of homelessness and be empowered to move forward to independent, safe, sustainable living. We also provide a fully comprehensive resettlement programme.

Member Q&A

What is your goal?

Our Vision is that Daisyhouse Housing Association is instrumental in breaking the cycle of homelessness through the provision of the Daisyhouse Personal Support Programme. Our Mission is to provide secure affordable high quality supported accommodation to homeless women and to provide them with the skills and confidence to move to independent living.

Daisyhouse services users are:

Empowered to do more for themselves.
Encouraged to examine the issues which may have contributed to their homelessness.
Supported to develop their capacity to live independently in the future so that when they are housed on a long-term basis, they will need little or no support.

How have you been working towards it?

Daisyhouse provides supported temporary accommodation for a period of up to eighteen months. During this time, clients are provided with a full, tailor made wrap around service which includes- key-working and case management, specialised counselling, education, training and employment support and opportunities, family reunification, mental and physical health support and housing support. We provide a two-year aftercare programme to clients when they move on from Daisyhouse to ensure that the cycle of homelessness continues to remain broken. Daisyhouse also provides long term accommodation to fifteen individuals and families.

How has being a member of The Wheel helped?

Being a member of The Wheel has lots of benefits for Daisyhouse- it helps us to stay connected with our peers locally and nationally. As a small organisation, it allows our voice to be represented at a national level. It supports us to work collaboratively with other partners. It provides advice, support and professional services to us. It keeps us abreast of what is happening at an advocacy and lobbying level for the best interests of our clients and staff. It supports us with fundraising opportunities through FundingPoint.

How can people support you?

You can support our organisation in a number of ways - Becoming friends with us on Social Media to help us to increase our public profile You can donate your time and specialist skills to support our clients with specific needs. You can organise an fundraising event . You can donate directly through our website- www.daisyhouse.org 

Do you have any success stories to share?

I was homeless through domestic violence, poverty and addiction. When I was homeless, I felt less than a human being. I slept in broken down cars, stairways and parks. I have experienced hopelessness on an unimaginable scale. I remember sitting in a doorway one time, cold, hungry and very alone. I watched people go by me knowing where they were going and had homes to go to, just passing me by. I remember looking at a dog passing me by with its owner and I felt less than an animal. I felt that dog had a home, food and warmth. The dog was more important than me to my fellow human beings. I was very vulnerable and scared especially being a woman homeless. I was in fear constantly of being raped and abused. When I found Daisyhouse it changed my life. I came to Daisyhouse a very broken young women with a lot of trauma. Daisyhouse gave me safety. For the first time in my life, I felt safe. it was a new experience. I then began to grow as a person through encouragement and nurture from the staff at Daisy. I began to experience joy and self- worth. I have a safe place to develop as a person and human being. thanks to Daisyhouse and all the staff I am now in college, achieving my dreams and gaining the ability to stand on my own two feet. The encouragement and nurture is a new language for me from self -loathing and put downs to love and kindness and knowing I’m worth everything as much as the next person is. I have returned to 3rd level education and am now studying to be a social worker. Daisyhouse helped me to remember my childhood dreams which had become trodden on for so many years. I now feel like I am a contributing member of society and am so excited for the future I never believed I could have.

Where can people find you on social media?

Website: www.daisyhouse.org  

Facebook: daisyhouse8

Twitter: @daisy_house

Instagram: daisyhouse300