Increase in homelessness needs to tackled- Crowe

Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has said that the Government needs to wake up to the growing homeless crisis in Dublin and across the state. The delay in releasing suitable NAMA housing for families and individuals is unacceptable

A recently released report from the Dublin Regional Homelessness Consultative Forum shows that there has been a sharp rise in the number of people sleeping rough in the capital.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“The report from the Dublin Regional Homelessness Consultative Forum shows that a minimum of 87 people were sleeping rough when they conducted their count on the night of November 13.

“However they usually conduct a self-reporting follow up count the next morning at the Merchants Quay early breakfast service, which on average adds 14 more people to their count. This unfortunately could not happen because the breakfast service was not running on the morning of the November 14. So the real figure could 101 people sleeping rough on Dublin’s streets.

“In the same report in April, 73 were counted as sleeping rough, in last winter’s report 87 were counted, in the winter of 2010 it was 70 and 60 in 2009.

“This report clearly indicates that there has been a sharp rise in the number of people sleeping rough and the Government must take action on this issue immediately. The delay in releasing suitable NAMA housing for families and individuals is unacceptable

“In the 2013 Budget the Government cut support for homelessness services by 7%. To cut this vital support, at a time when homelessness is increasing, is a mistake by the Government and it needs to be reversed.

“This cut coupled with on-going austerity measures in successive Budgets will ensure that more people will become vulnerable to the risk of homelessness.

“The Government needs to act immediately to help the most vulnerable in our society or we will continue to see a rise in homelessness and people sleeping rough in our towns and cities.”