Action on homelessness has to be a Government priority – Crowe

Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has called on the Government to urgently tackle homelessness and make it a key priority in the forthcoming budget.

Crowe was speaking after attending a briefing in Leinster House from the Simon Community on the status of homelessness in Dublin.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“In this pre budget briefing the Simon Community told us that over 1,400 individuals are now taking shelter in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region each night.

“However this figure doesn’t include those who are ‘couch hopping’, living in overcrowded or unsafe conditions or the 294 families with 640 children who are living in hotels each night. This is depriving these families of having a normal family life and is completely unacceptable

“Every day very vulnerable people in desperate need of housing are met with the challenge of depleting accommodation availability, inadequate rent supplement/allowance, and huge rising rents .

“While there is much talk in the media and from the Government of economic recovery it is clear to see that this confidence is not trickling down to the less fortunate who have become more unfortunate and vulnerable.

“It is increasingly obvious that thousands of vulnerable people, right across Dublin, are being caught in a revolving door of inadequate housing services and ending up homeless.

“The Government needs to urgently make tackling homeless and the housing crisis a key priority and address this in the upcoming budget.”