Written by Elaine Ellis - Accommodation Manager, Conway Court
I’ve worked with Simon Community for 22 years. For most of that time, I’ve been based at Conway Court, our family hostel. That length of service has given me insight, experience, and most of all, perspective. But the thing that has shaped my work more than anything is this simple truth:
"I’m a parent. And so, from the very beginning, I’ve asked myself a question that has guided everything I do: What if it were me and my daughter who were homeless? How would we cope? What would I do to protect her?"
That question still stops me in my tracks. It’s what keeps me going through the toughest days. Because when I look at the families who arrive at Simon Community’s door, I don’t just see statistics.
"I see people who could so easily be me. I see mothers and fathers doing their best in unimaginable circumstances. I see children caught in the middle of a crisis they never caused."
And that’s why my guiding principle has always been this: Treat every family the way I would want my family to be treated.
Conway Court is made up of 24 self-contained apartments. They’re not luxury flats, but they are modest, safe, private spaces where families can begin to feel a sense of normality again.
"But here’s the reality: every single one of those 24 apartments is full. Always."
The demand for family accommodation far outstrips the supply. It’s a never-ending cycle - no sooner have we supported one family into a permanent home than another is anxiously waiting, hoping for a safe place to land.
More and more often, the families arriving at Conway Court are coming from emergency accommodation - hotels and B&Bs. They tell us the same things:
"There was no kitchen to cook proper meals.
There was nowhere for the kids to play.
We had to live out of suitcases."
And we know what that means for children - no bedtime routine, no healthy meals, no quiet place to learn or grow. It means missing out on the basics of childhood.
"Right now, 4,730 children are living in temporary accommodation across Northern Ireland. 4,730 young lives disrupted. 4,730 childhoods put on pause."
Many of these children have had their homes dismantled - belongings packed away, toys stored, bedrooms left behind.
They’ve left their schools, their friends, their familiar faces. Their whole world uprooted. They’ve been moved into the unknown, often with just their parents and siblings as their only constant.
Can you imagine trying to explain that to your child?
Can you imagine them asking, “When can we go home?” - and not having an answer?
As a parent, that kind of uncertainty would be heartbreaking.
Because let’s be honest - every child deserves a normal childhood.
One filled with simple things: sleepovers with friends, access to outdoor space, an address to give to Santa this Christmas.
When the priority becomes just having a roof over your head, so much else falls away. It’s not just bricks and mortar that these families are missing - it’s stability, dignity, opportunity.
And yet, despite everything, what I witness every day is not despair - it’s resilience. Parents whose lives have been turned upside down, who are living day-to-day, still find the strength to get up and keep going.
They put their children first, always.
Even when they are tired.
Even when they are scared.
Even when they don’t know what tomorrow holds.
They hold their families together with love, determination, and sheer willpower.
"And when I hear them say, “My children come first” - I believe them. I see it every day."