Homeless man refuses to abandon his dog

A homeless man, who refuses to enter temporary hostel accommodation because it would mean having to give up his dog, is highlighting difficulties with the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme.

Leon McDermott suffers from severe anxiety attacks and says his dog 'Marley' is his mental health companion.

Currently couch-surfing between family members, Leon has been offered a house in Kilnaleck under the scheme but wants to take up a tenancy in Carrickmacross because it comes with an opportunity of voluntary work in an animal shelter.

A native of London, Leon has lived in Ireland for the past 10 years. So severe are some of his anxiety attacks that Leon sometimes even blacks out, risking further injury.

The nine-year-old Beagle-cross “is the one that's there for me” explains Leon. “He'll sense it, start nudging me, and if it's really bad, like I might black out or do harm to myself, Marley will drag me, get hold of my arm and try and get me to take him out, on walk, something like that, anything to try calm me down. If it's a case where I can't get up, he'll lay there licking my face until I move again.”

Leon was also offered the opportunity of hostel accommodation through the local authority, but turned it down after learning he'd be forced to give up his dog.

“He's been with me nine years, since he was a pup. I couldn't give him up to go into a hostel,” says Leon. “I need Marley. It's hard to get across just how much I need him but the anxiety takes me to a very dark place and Marley brings me out of that.”

HAP is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. The scheme is administered by the local authorities, who pay landlords directly. The rent being charged for the accommodation must be within the limits set down for the household type in that local authority’s area. The cap is set by the Department for Housing (€380 per month in Cavan and €330 per month in Monaghan for a single person) and a person's weekly rent contribution is based on the individual's income. Financially, Leon's contribution works out at 38% of his current income whereas the threshold for the scheme is 25%.

Flexibility of up to 20% may be provided on a case-by-case basis. This has been applied, The Anglo-Celt understands, however Cavan County Council has a policy of refusing to discuss individual cases.

It's not that Leon has any issue with living in Killnaleck, where the tenancy will last for two years, but shortly after finding the accommodation, he was offered another opportunity in Carrickmacross.

Initially priced at €800, the owner of the house runs an animal charity, and offered to reduce the overall cost to €600 on the proviso that Leon commit to volunteering at the shelter near Castleblayney. But it appears the rules of the scheme must value the rent at €800 per month on paper and can't take account of the lower rate.

For animal lover Leon it was a dream come true, and he is panicking now that the offer might soon lapse.

Already Leon has “outstayed my welcome” living on people's couches, and he says the best prospect he feels for the future, and towards getting his life back on track, is in a “new town, a fresh start.”

“With my mental health, [volunteering] will get me out, I love animals. It's literally perfect. The amount, €600, is the same as Kilnaleck is going for but, because of the cap, two different in Cavan and Monaghan, I could lose out. It's very difficult to take, very difficult to understand how the cap for the two can be so different and yet so near.

“The options right now, and while I'm very grateful for the chance at getting a roof over my head in one way, is one place where I feel I've nothing going into, or another where I could take the next step in my life.”

At the last time of speaking to Leon, the process of working with the Council to try and find a resolution was "ongoing", but "slow".