Time for real solutions as housing crisis worsens
Time for real solutions as housing crisis worsens - The Labour Party
- Dublin Simon reports rising demand for help
- Average rents jump 5.5% nationwide
Labour’s Housing Spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has warned that Ireland is facing a “deepening homelessness crisis” following the publication of Dublin Simon’s annual report, which shows a significant increase in demand for outreach services compared to 2023. The findings come on the same day that new RTB figures show average rents for new tenancies nationally have risen by 5.5% over the past year.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Today’s report from Dublin Simon paints a devastating picture of the scale of the housing and homelessness emergency in Ireland. Behind every statistic is a person, a family, or a child forced into impossible situations because Government has failed to act.
“The fact that we are seeing both soaring rents and rising demand for homelessness services on the same day is no coincidence. This is the direct result of Government inaction and a refusal to make the political choices that would actually make a difference. In March of this year, I wrote directly to Minister James Browne outlining six clear proposals to address this crisis. Six months on, I have not received so much as an acknowledgement. That silence speaks volumes.
“Government cannot continue to sit on its hands while homelessness rises. Labour has put forward six concrete actions that could help turn the tide on this crisis:
- Increased funding for the tenant-in-situ scheme in the Government’s upcoming housing policy, whenever it is published. This is vital to keeping people in their homes and ensuring the State steps in where needed.
- Pilot models for vulnerable groups at risk of homelessness must be introduced urgently, particularly for those leaving State care and people exiting Direct Provision. Nobody should be forced from institutional care directly into homelessness.
- Implement the Youth Homelessness Strategy in full and introduce a dedicated strategy to tackle child homelessness, complete with measurable outcomes and clear timelines.
- Increase funding for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to improve access to the very limited number of properties available in the private rental sector.
- Raise the HAP thresholds immediately in advance of predicted rental market changes once the RPZ changes come into effect.
- Deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to increase housing supply. Over six months on, we are going backwards rather than making progress.
“These are political choices. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil can no longer pretend that this is beyond their control. Every day, more people are losing their homes, more families are being pushed into temporary accommodation, and more young people are being locked out of housing altogether. Dublin Simon’s report is a wake-up call — but this Government seems determined to hit the snooze button.
“We need urgent action — not more press releases. Government must finally listen and use every tool available to stop this crisis spiralling further out of control. The housing and homelessness emergency is not inevitable. It is the result of choices. The time for excuses is over — the time to act is now.”