'You're not even living, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy'

"I wouldn't wish this life on anyone, it's awful. I don't even know who I am anymore."

The Welcome Organisation's drop-in centre was forced to close its headquarters in west Belfast after an arson attack in July.

It has taken five months to find new premises at Centenary House in Belfast City Centre.

BBC News NI spent the evening in the new premises to see the support the team offers to those that need it.

We met Seanín, who said the services are "lifesaving".

She told us: "I would be lost without the Welcome."

Seanín has been homeless for six months and is living in emergency accommodation.

She struggles with addiction and uses prescription drugs, cocaine and heroin.

She said "drugs help you stay warm, they help you get up, they help you sleep".

Seanín uses the drop-in centre every day and said she "wouldn't wish this life on anyone", adding that she doesn't recognise herself.

"This is the only place I have. I have nowhere else to go. I don't have a family home.

"This is my family."

Seanín isn't alone, Callum uses the service too.

He's been homeless for a number of years and regularly sleeps rough.

"You're not even living. You feel like nobody cares.

"People see you walking around with a sleeping bag and think you're a piece of dirt on the floor."

Callum said he smokes Spice (a synthetic cannabis) to "forget he is homeless".

"I don't want to live like this. I am under serious stress worrying that I won't get a bed. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

Homeless services in Northern Ireland are under "extreme pressure" dealing with "people that have more complex needs than ever before", according to the charity.

Susan Duncan, from The Welcome Organisation, said "rough sleeping is increasing year on year in Belfast".

She added that the Housing Executive was under more pressure than they have ever been.

"Over the years the need has grown and grown. We are seeing more and more complex clients, more and more people that are chronically homeless, more and more drug use, more and more injecting drug use," she told BBC News NI.

The teams are dealing with very complex needs and the rise in both homelessness and drug use in the city have made their role even more difficult.

"The types of drugs people are using has changed over the last number of years," said Susan.

The new premises is not a permanent solution and the organisation hopes to move to a bigger facility.

"We've had to shrink our facilities instead of grow them and that has been difficult," said Susan.

"We've had to adapt and redesign how we deliver our services to people. Before we could accommodate as many people that presented at our drop-in service. Now we can support up to 12 people at any one time."

The Welcome Organisation said the change of premises has had an effect on the people that use the service.

"If you can imagine, you've nowhere to go overnight and then during the day you don't have a place to come and sit and just let your head rest.

"That can't be good for anyone's mental health whenever you don't get a break from being homeless."

It is clear the service has changed somewhat.

The new support hub is much smaller than the original location at Townsend Street in west Belfast.

Susan, who is the head of operations, said there was no facility for people to be able to "sit around, relax and have a place of safety during the day".

"It's very much, come in, get your needs met and once that is done you need to move on to make space for the next person."

And the people kept coming - it was a busy night at the support hub.

Housing Executive Chief Executive, Grainia Long, said they had been working with the Welcome Organisation and she was delighted an "interim location" had been found.

"Services have been successfully transitioned and the Hub has been in operation since early December," she said.

"It is difficult to replicate the full range of services offered at The Welcome Organisation previous location and, therefore, this is an interim arrangement while other options are being actively sought."

Ms Long said the Housing Executive would continue to offer support as a permanent facility is sought.

The team at the Welcome Organisation centre close the drop-in doors at 18:00 GMT but their work is far from over.

The outreach teams provide essential support to those on the streets and it's clear the teams are under pressure.

Susan said it had forced the conversation around what the city needs to tackle this and to help people through their complex needs.

"The ideal scenario is that we can get a facility that incorporates the housing support alongside health support, alongside addiction support, alongside the complex needs team so that everybody can work together so that people aren't having to go all around the city in order to get their needs met."