Sister Stan says the lack of action on homelessness is 'unforgiveable'

Focus Ireland founder and veteran campaigner Stanislaus Kennedy. 

The government is showing an “unforgiveable” lack of action on homelessness this winter, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy has said.

The Focus Ireland Life President and founder said: “Rising homelessness is not inevitable, it is the result of the wrong political decisions”.

Speaking as Focus Ireland published its annual report on Tuesday, she warned accommodation supply is at an all-time low this winter and called for a temporary eviction ban.

The report shows the charity helped 1,288 households to avoid or leave homelessness last year.

This includes 767 households which Focus Ireland helped support out of homelessness and 521 households where the charity’s interventions avoided them from becoming homeless in the first place.

The charity also supported over 12,300 people who engaged with their services.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said May 2021 saw a five-year low in the number of people living in homeless emergency accommodation.

“Since then, regrettably, we have arrived at a situation where we are seeing record homelessness for two months in a row,” he said.

We know it does not have to be this way and it is a shame this crucial collaboration has been undone.  

He said there is an urgent need to keep people in their homes while plans for long-term house-building develop.

“We still think there needs to be more urgency and investment, and despite the lack of action the Government must be honest with its targets and acknowledge that when we miss our targets, we have missed providing a home for a family and a household,” he said.

Sr Stan added that the lack of action in Budget 2023 is an example of poor political decision-making, which will lead to more landlords leaving the market and more people becoming homeless.

"This lack of action is unforgiveable as we know most emergency accommodation is full and there are an increasing number of people who have no homes and who are not counted in the official figures,” she warned.

She called for an expert group to be established.

“A temporary eviction ban, which has been much discussed recently, needs to be in place while an expert group is established to quickly determine measures that will encourage landlords to stay in the market for a fixed period,” she said.

Lisa Brennan, a wheelchair user who was supported to move into a special purpose-built Focus Ireland apartment complex in 2021, explained how the charity changed her life.

“I now have my own beautiful home, a job I enjoy and while I have had some serious challenges in my past, my future looks bright,” she said.

"I have had more challenges than most people my age, but with the right support, I am now able to fully participate and contribute to society.”