A NEW action group has been set up to tackle homelessness ahead of a rally due to take place at the GPO.
Leading housing charities, trade unions, community action groups, political parties and minority representatives have joined forces to form a ‘National Homeless and Housing Coalition’.
The group is calling on the Government to take immediate action to end the current homeless and housing emergency situation.
The coalition is now calling on the public to take part in a housing rally, which will take place on December 1 at the GPO in Dublin. The rally will mark the death of Jonathan Corrie this time last year.
The tragic death of the homeless man on Molesworth Street, just yards from Leinster House, focused the national conversation on the issue of homelessness.
The group is urging the public to come out and support the rally and call on the Government to introduce a range of measures to protect people who are homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless.
These include increasing rent supplement, the introduction of rent certainty and rent controls and the building of social and affordable housing.
Speaking at a meeting of the coalition, housing campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said: “We have a crisis, it’s beyond a crisis, it’s an emergency.”
The coalition was formed following the initiative taken by Help 4 the Homeless activist Keith Troy, from Ballyfermot.
“Between 70 and 80 families are becoming homeless and losing their homes every month in Dublin alone,” he said. “The Government needs to take urgent action to deal with the housing crisis. The situation has become so serious that all these groups have come together to urge people to take part in the rally in a bid to put pressure on the Government to introduce the measures needed to protect people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.”
The rally will assemble at the GPO at 5pm on December 1 and will be followed by a march to Dail Eireann on Kildare Street.