I’ve no place to call home

A LOCAL single father left homeless after losing his privately rented apartment in Finglas has spoken of his frustration at being forced to live in emergency accommodation.

Willie Abbott (46), who had to take responsibility for his two teenage children after their mother passed away, is currently living in a single room at Travelodge Hotel in Ballymun with his 14-year-old daughter.

The family have been living there with no cooking facilities since last April when Willie learned that the tenancy on his rented apartment wasn’t being renewed.

Willie, who has health problems and depends on social welfare, said it was impossible to find a landlord willing to accept rent allowance so he turned to Dublin City Council for help.

“I was basically left homeless and when I went to the council for help all they said they could give me was just this one room in the hotel,

? he said.

“It’s just so humiliating to find myself here at this stage in my life.

“I think it was totally, morally wrong to put me, my daughter who’s 14 and my son who’s 13, in one room.

?

Willie says he feels abandoned by the State and is so desperate he’s considering going on hunger strike or staging a protest outside Dublin City Council offices.

“That’s how bad it is,

? he revealed

“The kids are finding it hard to cope and I feel I’m on the verge of a breakdown myself. I’ve lost about four and half or five stone and my health is not good at all.

?

He added:

“City councillor Gerry Breen has tried to help me. He put me in touch with some guy from the council who said he’d keep pushing for me and stay in touch with me.

“But I’ve been calling him every day and left messages for him and I’ve heard nothing back.

?

Cllr Breen (FG) said he believed that Willie had been let down by a

“faulty system

?.

“He’s a decent guy and it’s really very frustrating,

? he said.

The Dublin Simon Community warned last week that the Government’s plan to end long-term homelessness by 2016 was in serious jeopardy.

CEO of the charity, Sam McGuinness, described the need for accommodation and assistance for those with nowhere to go, and whose existence has become harsh and dangerous, as

“the highest we have ever seen

?.

“In present uncertain times, with limited emergency accommodation, housing shortage, rent increases and rent allowance restrictions, the pressure for beds is frantic,

? he said.

Dublin North West TD Dessie Ellis (SF) blamed Government cuts for creating more homelessness.

“The last few weeks have seen a number of figures released by leading homelessness charities and organisations which are nothing short of alarming,

? he said.

“Housing has been cut year on year, homelessness services in Dublin are to be cut by e4.5 million and rent supplement, which houses nearly 100,000 people in precarious financial situations, has been cut.

“Finding adequate, affordable housing has never been so difficult for people as housing need has soared to 112,000. Current homelessness figures are the tip of the iceberg if we do not change tack now and invest in providing housing.

?

In relation to Willie Abbott’s situation, Dublin City Council said it could not comment on individual cases.