Homeless crisis going nowhere

IT is outrageous the homeless crisis is getting worse despite the attention this scandal has received in the media.

With a cold snap upon us, the latest figures show there were 184 people in parks, streets, doorways and shopfronts across the capital – that’s a record number.

And there are record numbers of people homeless across the country too with 8,492 people without a roof over their head, a rise of 118 from the September 2017 figures of 8,374 men, women and children.

The number of people sleeping rough in the capital is up by a third since April which is simply not acceptable.

Something needs to be done to help those currently living on the streets and try and stop those who face having their homes taken from over their heads in the near future.

We welcome the Government’s Cold Weather initiative for Dublin which will ensure that fewer people will have to sleep rough.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, who opened a new homeless facility run by the Peter Mcverry Trust in Dublin, said there should be enough beds in the city this winter to give everyone shelter who needs it.

However, this is just a temporary solution. The Government must back up its words with deeds and build a system to allow those falling behind in mortgage repayments to find a way to pay back their loan without repossession.