Charity fury over homelessness
CHARITIES have critcised ‘the shockingly normal’ increase in homelessness as another record number has been recorded in official figures.
There were 13,531 people in homeless accommodation by the end of last month, the latest figures from the Department of Housing have shown.
Among them are 9,504 adults, including 197 pensioners. It was also revealed that there were 4,027 children and 1,940 families in emergency accommodation during the last week of January.
The overall figure is an increase of 213 from December and ‘an alarming’ 15% higher than a year ago.
Wayne Stanley, executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said: ‘It’s disheartening to see that in 2024, we still have not gotten ahead of this crisis. We have known for all those years that the solution is to increase the supply of social housing. We simply have not been building enough social housing and the situation is made worse by the decline in supply and affordability in the private rental market.
‘We need Government to do more to provide support and protection to these individuals and families and prevent homelessness before it starts.’
Focus Ireland chief Pat Dennigan said the total of 4,027 homeless children was ‘truly heartbreaking’ and ‘an appalling situation’. He added: ‘It is time to take meaningful actions that will cause change, such as ensuring a fairer allocation of social housing for families who are homeless.’ People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny slammed the Government’s record on homelessness and called for an immediate reintroduction of the eviction ban.
He said the figures are ‘sickening and show the Government has lost all control of the homelessness crisis’. ‘What is needed is a radical change of direction in housing policy and a ban on no fault evictions,’ Mr Kenny added.
Social Democrats housing spokesman Cian O’Callaghan described the figures as ‘a damming record and an abject failure by this Government’. He said: ‘Since they have taken office, homelessness has increased by 56% while child homelessness has increased by 52%.’
The Department of Housing was contacted for comment.