Charities have warned politicians that the housing and homelessness emergency will continue to deteriorate while they discus forming a government. Focus Ireland, the Simon Communities and the Peter McVerry Trust have called on parties to address homelessness as soon as a new government is formed.
Six adults become homeless in Dublin every day and 222 will have become homeless in the time between the calling of the general election and the first Dáil meeting on March 10th. Figures from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive show 5,500 adults used emergency shelters for the homeless in Dublin last year.
The call from the charities was echoed by two Dublin families living in homeless accommodation on Mountjoy Street and at risk of eviction. Rachel McGuinness, Gemma Bradley and Paul Murtagh, are fighting eviction. Dublin City Council gave residents until February 26th to leave, but four families, including five children, have not gone yet.
Immediate action
Ms McGuinness, who has two children, said all TDs should get together to address homelessness. “It’s happening to everybody, working people, high-class working people even, it’s disgraceful.”
Ms Bradley, who has one child, called for immediate action. “They’ve got to start working on this now, for all the homeless,” she said.
Simon Communities spokeswoman Niamh Randall said the homelessness crisis could not be put on hold as negotiations on a new government continued. “We cannot tell over 5,000 people who are trapped in emergency accommodation, those sleeping rough on our streets tonight and every night and those living on the edge of homelessness to hang on for weeks of negotiations,” she said. “We need strong and determined leadership from all parties right now.”
Mike Allen of Focus Ireland said establishing a government takes time, and to establish a stable one is time well invested, but that needs to be counter-balanced with the fact there are families facing eviction.
Before the election, Fianna Fáil tabled a private member’s motion stating the 2,000 houses Nama had promised to build this year should all go to social housing. “There is now a majority in the Dáil for that position; that would be the most significant single action that could be taken on homelessness at the moment,” Mr Allen said.
