Plea for more housing to tackle homelessness

The Government must double the amount of social housing to end the crisis in homelessness and lack of housing, it was claimed today.

Focus Ireland, campaigners against homelessness, said a decade of unrivalled economic growth had failed to address the needs of those most disadvantaged in Irish society.

“The Government must now listen to people who have been further marginalised during the boom years if it is serious about building a more equal society for the future,” Declan Jones, Focus Ireland chief executive said.

“There’s still 5,581 people who are homeless and over 48,000 households on the housing waiting lists.

“The bottom line is not enough housing is being provided to allow people move on from homelessness or move off the housing lists,” he added.

Focus Ireland’s annual report for 2003 showed the Government was committed to building 41,500 local authority housing units by 2007 under the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Figures from the Department of the Environment showed 12,838 houses have been built since 2002 – local authorities (9,615) and the voluntary sector (3,223).

But the report claimed annual social housing provision needed to be doubled each year if the housing shortfall is to be tackled effectively and meet the needs of new people joining the lists.

The agency also called for the Government to clarify schemes such as the long-term housing initiative for people on the housing list receiving rent allowance.

The report suggested more essential housing could be created through this scheme, but called on the Government to examine the scheme further to ensure those who needed help the most would receive it.

Mr Jones claimed emergency housing was helping to solve part of the problem by removing people from the streets who consistently sleep rough.

But he said solving the problem was not a simple matter of offering homeless people a room for the night.

“Homelessness is a complex problem and it requires complex solutions,” Mr Jones said.

“People are homeless for many reasons and there isn’t one quick-fix solution for everyone as their needs greatly vary.”