Jubilant Janet thanks Novas for new home

A HOMELESS 72-year old woman has been offered a Council house – in Dunmanway.

Janet Thornton, who has renal cancer and was considered a medical priority on the waiting list, said she is ‘overjoyed’ at Cork County Council’s decision to offer her a small two-bedroomed bungalow outside of Dunmanway town.

‘It is perfect,’ said Janet, who was desperate to have a place where her animals would be safe. 

Since she was made homeless on December 31st, Janet has had to put her animals in kennels and she said: ‘I’ve been missing them dearly for the last four weeks.’

This week, however, she hopes to reunite with her animals when she relocates from a hostel in Glengarriff to the bungalow that is close to the town and on the bus routes.

‘It is such a relief,’ said Janet, who became homeless after the lease on an old cottage in the Bantry area ran out. 

‘This house will give me the certainty that I need, so I can refocus my energy on getting well.’

Although she is very grateful to Cork County Council for taking her off the homeless list, Janet said: ‘I don’t think Council County Council has the necessary facilities to deal with emergency situations, like mine.’ 

And she said she hoped the local authority would ‘develop a workable strategy because the housing crisis is getting worse.’

Janet also wanted to thank Patrick Healy who is a support worker with the organisation Novas, which is a homeless charity that works in close co-operation with Cork County Council.

Janet said: ‘More people need to know about Patrick Healy and Novas because they give the support that homeless people need.’