Six key measures to tackle homelessness – Labour
Six key measures to tackle homelessness - Labour - The Labour Party
- Depressing milestone reached today of almost 16,000 people living in homelessness
Responding to the publication by the Department of Housing of the number of people living in homelessness last month, Labour’s housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has urged Minister Browne to heed his calls to radically address the homelessness crisis.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“There is no acceptable level of homelessness. Under the current trajectory of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the trends are going in the wrong direction. Homeless figures published in July 2023 showed that at lest 12,600 people were living in homelessness. This time last year there were 14,303 people recorded as living in homelessness. Today, this number has increased by over 1,500 people to a shameful 15,915 people living in homelessness.
“I wrote to Minister Browne in March of this year detailing a series of proposals to address this crisis. He hasn’t even bothered to reply to me. There are six key actions that need to be taken to stem this crisis and turn back the tide on homelessness in Ireland.
“We need to see increased funding for the tenant in situ scheme in the Government’s new housing policy, whenever it is published. This is crucial to keeping a roof over people’s heads and ensuring the State is there to catch anyone who needs support.
“Secondly, Government must come forward with pilot models for vulnerable groups at risk of homelessness in this State, like those living in State care and migrants to prevent people going straight from Direct Provision into homelessness.
“Unfortunately, young people are not immune from this crisis unfortunately. That’s why we need to see the full implementation of the current Youth Homeless Strategy and a specific strategy to tackle child homelessness with measurable outcomes.
“Today’s figures show that we are on the cusp of 5,000 children living in homelessness. It must be addressed. Labour’s Homeless Families Bill would ensure that local authorities prioritise the prevention of family homelessness.
“Fifthly, the budget for HAP must be increased in order to allow people more access to the scarcity of properties in the private rental market. Finally, we need to see an increase in the HAP threshold in time for the predicted changes to the rental market once the RPZ changes come in.
“The Programme for Government commits to increasing supply to get people out of homelessness, yet here we are over six months since its publication and it feels like we are going backwards. When will Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil take action?”