Clear evidence exists to reimplement eviction ban
Labour Senator and Oireachtas Housing Committee Mark Wall has urged Government to implement the eviction ban in light of record homeless figures in March.
As the data published by the Department on Friday represents the last data sample while the eviction ban was actually in place, Senator Wall said there will be an explosion of people living in homelessness unless protections are put in place.
Senator Wall said:
“From the start, all the evidence around the eviction ban pointed to the need to extend its lifetime until Government got to grips with the enormous challenges of supply and affordability in the rental market. Press conferences will not build homes. This Government is abjectly failing renters up and down this country who are living in deep insecurity and uncertainty.
“Figures published on Friday showed a 2.1% increase in homelessness in the space of a month. That is an astronomic failure of Government housing policy. There is no acceptable level of homelessness – yet Government seem to have conceded that there is. The 11,988 people, 3,472 of whom are children, deserve a lot better than the half-hearted, cobbled together approach of this coalition of convenience.
“Our inboxes are flooded with correspondences from people in dire situations nationwide. Many who have been served eviction notes are scrambling to find alternative accommodation. Indeed, the figures published by the Department don’t even account for those living in hidden homelessness, those adult children forced to live in their parents’ box room or people who are couch surfing.
“Surely, the sensible thing at this point is to reimplement the eviction ban so Government can prioritise the speedy delivery of housing stock that is so desperately needed. Things are only going to get worse.
“This Government has consistently failed to live up to its own hype. We all accept that it takes time to build a home. But to see the shocking failure to control the controllables and extend the eviction ban to protect renters is nothing short of a disgrace.”