Rent supplement cut in budget ‘could increase homelessness’

CUTTING rent supplement in the December budget is unjustified and could lead to an increase in homelessness, a new campaign alliance has warned.

MakeRoom, an organisation made up of Focus Ireland, the Simon Community, the Saint Vincent de Paul and Threshold, said yesterday that rent supplement had already been cut twice in the last 12 months — and urged the Government not to do so again.

Speaking on behalf of the alliance campaign, Threshold chairwoman Aideen Hayden said the Government was justifying cuts by pointing to a decline in general market rents.