FOCUS Ireland has launched a new campaign to help prevent families from becoming homeless in the Dublin 15 area.
The housing and homelessness charity launched the campaign last week with a series of outdoor ads – sponsored by Bord Gáis Energy– calling on families struggling to pay their rent to contact them for help.
The new pilot campaign is being aimed at Dublin 15 as recent research by Focus Ireland found a large number of local families were losing their rented accommodation and becoming homeless.
The homeless charity is working in partnership with the Blanchardstown Intreo Office of the Department of Social Protection, which will issue a letter on behalf of Focus Ireland to all families in receipt of rent supplement in Dublin 15 urging them to seek support if they are worried about losing their homes.
“We urge people who are worried about paying their rent and who are in receipt of rent supplement to contact us as the sooner they do, the sooner we can try to help them,” said Focus Ireland Manager Kieran Vulker.
“It’s possible for families struggling to afford the rent to get an increase in their rent supplement from the Department of Social Protection to make sure they do not lose their homes and become homeless, but many do not know about this so we would urge people to get in touch.”
As reported in Northside People last month, recent Focus Ireland research found that out of 636 children homeless at the beginning of November 2015, almost 20 per cent had lived in Dublin 15.
The area has a high proportion of rental properties. Figures from the Blanchardstown Area Partnership show that 43 per cent of people rent from private landlords and significant numbers are in receipt of rent supplement.
Meanwhile, figures issued by Focus Ireland last month reported that 74 families became newly homeless in Dublin in April and were referred to its family services.
The latest figures mean that 366 families and 731 children have become homeless in the first four months of this year in the capital alone.
“It is important to highlight that the situation would in fact be much worse without the work Focus Ireland does in helping families to move out of homelessness into secure housing with the support of the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive,” Vulker added.