Homeless campaigners stage sleep-out protest

A NUMBER of local politicians staged an overnight

‘sleep-out’ outside the offices of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council last week.

One Southside TD and several councillors joined homeless families and those who are at risk of becoming homeless to highlight what they described as a housing crisis prior to the AGM of the new council in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett and People Before Profit councillors Melisa Halpin, Hugh Lewis and Karl Gill slept out on the steps of the council’s offices as part of an ongoing campaign to demand immediate action to solve the housing crisis.

According to Deputy Boyd Barrett, some of those participating in the sleep-out included families who are on the housing list for over 12 years, as well as homeless families and individuals who are suffering as a result of the ongoing housing crisis.

“In 2011 the Government abandoned the direct provision of social housing and farmed out housing to private landlords,

? Deputy Boyd Barrett said.

“Now that landlords can get higher rents on the open market they are pulling out of these deals and families are being forced into homelessness.

“Rents are rocketing and with no investment in social housing the crisis is spiralling out of control.

?

Cllr Halpin added:

“We are sleeping outside the council tonight with families and individuals on the housing list to highlight the severity of the housing crisis.

“The new council meets tomorrow and we want to ensure that housing becomes the number one issue.

?

According to the campaigners, there are currently 4,000 families on the housing list in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

“This situation cannot continue,

? Deputy Boyd Barrett added.

“We want a radically different council, one that starts telling the Government what we want and what the people who elected us want rather than just taking orders from Leinster House.

?

Those who were intending to join the protest included one woman who is currently homeless with three children.

She has been on the housing list for 12 years and claims she has never been offered anywhere to live.

She is staying with family and friends as the council could not offer her any suitable emergency accommodation.

Another mother of two children, one of whom has severe disabilities, has been on the housing list for six years and recently had to leave her rented accommodation as she could no longer pay the rent.

She is said to be living in hopelessly overcrowded conditions with her mother, which is entirely unsuitable for her disabled son.

Meanwhile, another woman who has been on the housing list for 14 years is living in substandard accommodation with her two children, which is believed to be contributing to severe health problems.

A spokesperson for Dun Loaghaire Rathdown County Council said they were unable to provide a comment at this time.