This is a crisis that will only be solved with urgent action and ambition
The Government’s new target to provide just 240 Housing First tenancies per year is not good enough, according to the Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan.
“Tonight, more than 8,000 people will sleep in emergency homeless accommodation. This includes 930 families and 2,129 children. This is in addition to all of the people who will sleep rough on our streets. This is a crisis that will only be solved with urgent action and ambition. The Government’s new target to provide just 240 Housing First tenancies per year is simply not good enough.
“Housing First enables people who are homeless to access secure accommodation with health and other supports. It’s a model that works and must be scaled up urgently.
“The Housing for All plan does not mention Housing First tenancies for families. This is hugely regrettable. We must get families out of homelessness. No child should grow up in a B&B or a hub. They, and their, families deserve a home of their own.
“Housing First works for people with complex needs – people who are sleeping rough; people who have been using emergency accommodation on a long term basis; people with addiction and mental health issues and people with acute housing needs who have been failed time and time again. Yesterday’s plan is the latest in a long list of plans that doesn’t do enough for those that are homeless.
“A new Housing First implementation plan is due by year-end. I urge the Minister to revise these targets upwards and commit to ending homelessness well before the end of the decade.”
23 September, 2021
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