The removal of rent caps and cuts to the tenant-in-situ scheme will contributing to rising levels of homelessness, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
The Dublin North-West TD, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, made his comments as a new record high for homelessness was confirmed on Friday afternoon.
The latest figures from the Department of Housing show there were 15,418 people living in homeless emergency accommodation across Ireland at the end of March, 4,675 of them are children.
“These record numbers are a shameful milestone for a government that never prioritised homelessness,” he said.
“Over the past six months, the number of children in emergency accommodation has been steadily increasing. Overall, there are 256 more children in emergency accommodation than there were six months ago. These trends will continue unless there is a radical shift in government policy.”
Hearne remarked that the Minister for Housing was “patting himself on the back” over missing housing targets, and that there is a disconnect between the government and the reality of the housing crisis.
“Housing policy pursued by this government is creating homelessness. The tenant-in-situ scheme is a genuinely preventative measure that would save these families and children from the trauma of entering into homelessness, and yet the acquisitions made by the government in 2024 were a mere 994 homes,” he said.
“Since then, there has been uncertainty over the future and funding of the scheme, as thousands of renters find themselves in limbo with the threat of eviction hanging over them.”
“Rents are at record levels and continue to skyrocket at rates of 6.4 per cent for new tenancies and 4.7 per cent for existing tenancies. And still, inexplicably, the government is considering removing rent caps.”
Hearne said “the figures today are the direct result of policy choices made by the government. This is what happens when you do not protect vulnerable renters, or prevent them from becoming homeless.”
“Rising levels of homelessness will continue to outpace any social and affordable housing delivery from the State unless there is a radical shift in government policy, which must have a far greater focus on the tenant-in-situ scheme.”