Record rise in number of homeless seeking support
MORE than 14,500 people who were homeless or at risk were helped by Focus Ireland.
The charity’s Annual Report
2017 shows a record rise of more than 7pc from the 13,500 given support in 2016.
It also reported that its housing wing had provided an additional 184 homes last year under a strategy target to provide 600 more homes by
2020 to help tackle the growing homelessness crisis.
“I’m proud to say we have delivered 310 new homes over the last two years and are on the way to achieving our target of doubling our housing stock by 2020,” said Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan.
“By the end of 2017 Focus Ireland owned or managed a total of 981 homes for people who were homeless or at risk.”
Meanwhile, Alone, the charity that supports older people, is calling on the Oireachtas to provide €84.5m a year over the next 10 years in the form of home adaptation grants and to develop an additional 122,000 units of housing for the elderly.
Its request comes following the launch of Alone’s latest report ‘Housing Choices For Older People in Ireland – Time for Action’.
It states that a greater spectrum of housing for older people is needed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, along with “innovative thinking and initiatives to offer meaningful housing choices to people as they age”.