HOMELESSNESS is an appalling reality for some, a hidden issue for many others.

But there is no quick fix for a situation which not only remains with us as we approach a new year, but seems to be quietly growing.

Many organisations work hard to help those who find themselves with no permanent roof over their heads, no place to call home.

But the problems facing homeless people are as complex and individual as the people themselves making it impossible to say that any one measure will resolve the issue which continues to blight so many lives across the country.

And blighted lives are exactly what happens when people do not have a permanent place in which to stay.

For those in work, in relationships and in reasonable health, not having a home may be something they think will never happen to them. But it so easily could.

A change in fortunes whether it be a breakdown in a relationship, health problems or unemployment can so easily tip a stable life into a challenging and uncertain one.

Helping hands are needed to find ways back into society, into the company of those who once trust has been established, might just be able to reconnect people to services which are there to help.

Organisations such as the Mission Cafe and the charity Simon on the Streets are already out there trying to make those connections.

We as a community should do all we can to support that work as these are the people who could make a real difference to those whose lives most of us cannot begin to imagine.