The housing crisis and issue of homelessness need to be addressed immediately

THERE are currently 5,000 men, women and children in emergency accommodation nationally, a figure that is both an indictment of the failed housing policies of successive governments and a call to action to end the homeless crisis once and for all.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly hosted a Homeless Summit on Monday which was attended by representatives of the Simon Communities and Focus Ireland as well as other charities and NGOs.

The purpose was to discuss winter preparations, hear the views of those who see the reality of homelessness every day and to outline the minister’s direction to local authorities to prioritise tenancies for vulnerable households.

While all welcomed the opportunity to have their say on the issue, they must have felt a sense of déjà vu at the meeting. A similar summit was held last December at which a 20-Point Action Plan was announced to help alleviate the crisis. Since then, things have gone from bad to worse.

There are three strands to it: homelessness itself, the shortage of affordable housing to buy or rent and the huge increases in the cost of rental accommodation.

According to a survey by daft.ie, there are now barely 4,000 homes available to rent nationwide, the lowest figure since it began its analysis of the property market a decade ago.

While new restrictions on rent increases will be welcomed by many in private rented accommodation, it is likely to lead to more landlords leaving the property market, so even fewer homes will be available.

The number of people in emergency accommodation has, meanwhile, increased, Simon figures show. There are 81% more families, 78% more children and 20% more adults stuck in hotels or hostels or B&B’s since last Christmas. Many more ‘hidden homeless’ people are sleeping rough, staying with friends or relatives or in squats.

As Niamh Randall, spokesperson for the housing charity put it: “That is no way for men, women and children to live.” It is hard to argue with that.

Homelessness is a national crisis and deserves a national response but it is particularly acute in Dublin where the number of homeless children has more than doubled in the past year.

The Cold Weather Initiative which is operating in some parts of the country is a worthwhile emergency response but it is, by its nature, a short-term solution to a long-term problem.

Three years ago the Government promised just such a solution — a Housing First approach involving a social housing strategy that promised to find homes for 32,000 households by 2017. But the strategy is moving at a glacial pace. In the first six months of this year only 20 local authority houses were built. Minister Kelly has promised that “up to” 200 more will be completed by the end of the year. We can only pray he delivers and succeeds in persuading local authorities to go back to the work of building homes rather than relying on the rental sector to fill the gap.