Staggering!

Dublin People 21 Nov 2015
Fr Peter McVerry and Nadine Garland – an 18-year-old mother of one who is currently living in emergency accommodation – pictured at the launch of the National Homeless and Housing Coalition

THE number of homeless in Dublin 15 has rocketed by a staggering 125 per cent since February according to figures released last week.

The Fingal County Council statistics show that there were 50 homeless families in Dublin 15 last February and that number had more than doubled to 123 by October.

The news coincides with reports of a surge in the cost of renting as landlords prepare for the introduction of new Government measures that will limit how often they can increase rents.

According to Daft.ie, the average advertised rent in Dublin is now €1,409, up 40 per cent from their lowest point in 2011.

Rents in the capital are now just 2.5 per cent lower than the Celtic Tiger era peak at the end of 2007 and start of 2008.

Fianna Fáil Candidate for Dublin West, Cllr Jack Chambers, who received the Dublin 15 homeless figures from Fingal County Council, said homelessness had now reached “extreme levels” in this area.

“Too many families are in temporary hotel accommodation for many months on end where they cannot conduct their basic necessities such as cooking a dinner,” he said.

“Many are finding it difficult to bring their children to school where a daily commute for an already impoverished family from a Sandyford hotel to Dublin 15 is hardly reasonable.”

Cllr Chambers claimed rent allowance caps for those on social welfare had driven hundreds of local families into homelessness and uncertainty.

“Minister Joan Burton capped rent allowance and a recent report by the Simon Communities has revealed that 92 per cent of properties were beyond the means of those on rent supplements,” he added.

Dublin North West TD Dessie Ellis (SF) said the current rental market has directly led to people becoming homeless and said new Government measures had made things worse in the short-term.

“The obvious reaction of landlords to desperately rush to hike rents on their tenants before the Government implement a very limp delay in rent reviews has only led to more hardship and shown up the ineffectiveness of this bare minimum response,” he said.

Meanwhile, leading housing charities, trade unions, community action groups, political parties and minority representatives have joined forces to form a new National Homeless and Housing Coalition (NHHC).

The group is calling on the public to take part in a housing rally at the GPO next Tuesday (December 1) to mark the anniversary of the tragic death of homeless man Jonathan Corrie last year.

Speaking at a meeting of the new organisation, housing campaigner, Peter McVerry, said the homeless situation was now beyond a crisis.

“It’s an emergency,” he declared. “While families are flooding into homelessness, ministers are bickering and disagreeing with one another. It’s an absolute disgrace.”

PRESS RELEASELeading housing charities, trade unions, community action groups, political parties and minority…

Posted by National Homeless & Housing Coalition. on Friday, 20 November 2015

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