BUDGET 2016: Failure to cap private rents criticised

The Simon Community has criticised the Government for failing to introduce rent certainty measures in the budget.

With 90,000 people on social housing waiting lists, and 4,868 people in emergency homeless accommodation nationally — 707 families with 1,496 children and 2,413 single people — the charity said rent certainty measures are essential in a bid to tackle the growing homelessness crisis.

“Such measures have been recommended by the Government advisory body the National Economic and Social Council [NESC],” Simon’s spokesperson Niamh Randall, said.