Homelessness happens when fragile families fall to pieces

EILEEN Gleeson of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive came under fire recently from homeless campaigners for claiming that the causes of the crisis are often misunderstood – and that wellmeaning volunteers can do more harm than good. But a new report from her organisation certainly backs up her claims about the complexity of the problem. It shows that while eviction is a large factor in the numbers seeking emergency accommodation, family circumstances are an even greater driver. Of the 450 families who sought homeless services in the first six months of the year, 30% gave family breakdown as the reason. Fifty-six people said their relationship with a parent had broken down, while 34 said they and their partner had separated. Overcrowding was the reason given by 40 people, while 33 people said general family circumstances had put them on the street. The statistics might nail the myth of homeless people as dysfunctional misfits, reaping the rewards of what Ms Gleeson unhappily described as years of ‘bad behaviour’. But it points to another conclusion, which is that the toll of human misery is so great in some domestic setups that desperate families are opting to become homeless in order to escape. Of course domestic violence or abuse may be a factor, in which case the refuges may come into play. But in other cases, there must be a role for social services to help restore fractured relationships or local authorities to convert attic rooms to create more living space, at least until more social housing comes on stream. The State must take more practical measures to improve the quality of life for vulnerable families. Supports cost money and involve unwieldy bureaucracy but that might be the price of keeping children off the streets.