Focus Ireland says the next Government must make a radical shift on housing policy as homelessness reaches yet another record total of 14,760
With an election due in a few weeks Focus Ireland has said that the next Government needs to make a radical shift in housing policy to tackle the ever-deepening homelessness crisis.
The leading charity said the current Government had failed to use the progress in building social homes into opportunities for families to exit homelessness. Any new Government’s immediate first step must be to reform social housing allocation to give a fair share of opportunities to the most vulnerable. as the number of people who are homeless has increased to a record figure of 14,760 for September 2024. This is an increase of 274 individuals homeless, 142 more children and 34 more families compared to August 2024.
The new figures also show homelessness overall is 15% higher compared with September 2023 with an annual child homelessness rise of 17% compared with the previous year.
Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said: “We are urging the next Government to adopt a policy that allocates a fair portion of new social housing specifically for families who have been homeless long-term. Such a targeted approach was instrumental in significantly reducing homelessness during the pandemic and has been crucial in Focus Ireland’s recent success in doubling the number of families we supported out of homelessness this year. If we fail to apply the lessons from what has proven effective, the number of families and children enduring long-term homelessness will continue to increase each month, despite the valuable efforts of Focus Ireland, other NGOs, and the State to support more households out of homelessness.”
He adds: “With homelessness rising virtually every month for the last three years, the Government seems to have concluded that this is a problem that cannot be solved and no new measures are needed. Homelessness was not even referred to in the main budget speeches. But there is plenty of evidence of policies can make a difference and homelessness is a solvable problem.
“Irish people understand that our homeless problem is the extreme end of the housing crisis that is impacting on families right across the country, and they want to see action to tackle it, This is why Focus Ireland is calling for greater ambition from the Government.
He continues: “We are calling on all political parties make the Housing Commission report central to their manifestos and to clearly set out what measures they will take to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis. Too often the political debate on housing and homelessness has been characterised by point scoring and finger-pointing, what people want are realistic and deliverable solutions. The future of over 4,000 children trapped in homelessness depends upon the ability of our political parties to rise to this challenge.
He adds: “Ireland’s growing population is vital to sustaining economic growth, and we must ensure the homes and communities are available for this expanding population. We look forward to hearing how political parties plan to meet this challenge in the upcoming election.”
In the run up to the election Mr Dennigan outlines Focus Ireland’s five steps to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis.
“We need at least 50,000 homes built annually, with 15,000 as social homes, tailored to real household needs, from single-person units to large family homes. By 2030, no one should face long-term homelessness. I urge the government to set 2030 milestones under the EU’s Lisbon Declaration and commit funding for this vision. Additionally, we must improve living conditions for those experiencing homelessness, especially vulnerable groups like families and youth, by enacting legislation that prioritizes the welfare of children in housing responses.”