Readers' Blog: Neoliberal policies create the homeless crises

The tragic and unnecessary deaths of three homeless people again highlight the unconscionable housing situation in this country ‘Housing summit following deaths of homeless’ (Irish Examiner, September 2).

There are approximately 3,000 children homeless in Ireland. Students are being priced out of the private rental market and are at risk of losing college places as a result.

Scarcity of resources is not an argument — in Ireland, there are 27 empty properties for every homeless person, excluding holiday homes and derelict buildings. Likewise in New York, a major city in one of the richest countries in the world, approximately 100,000 schoolchildren will be homeless at some point during the coming school year.