Swift action needed to tackle child homelessness

The proportion of children accompanying adults into homelessness is rising. Dept of Environment figures show the number of people becoming homeless in Dublin rose by five per cent in a three-month period while the number of children becoming homeless rose by almost 30%.

This is particularly worrying as, the long-term consequences of homelessness are particularly acute for children, with research showing that children who have experienced homelessness fare far worse in terms of health, education, emotional well-being, and life chances than those who have never experienced homelessness.

While increasing the housing stock is the ultimate solution to this problem, we are urging the Government to swiftly enact short-term measures to stem the tide of family homelessness by implementing rent controls, enhancing tenancy security and raising rent supplement caps.