With yet another distressing record of homelessness being hit, the UK Government is urging local councils to evaluate all lands that have been zoned as suitable for housing, and consider approving more areas to be specifically allocated for “residential” zoning. According to the Housing Department’s latest data, which was released on Friday, in July, 14,429 individuals found themselves living in emergency accommodation including over 4,000 children from more than 2,000 families.
The numbers highlight the seventh month in a row of increasing homelessness since the previous December, the outcome of which have been described as the “destructive result of the existing Government’s housing policy failures” by Cian O’Callaghan TD, the housing spokesperson for the Social Democrats. Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Housing also commented on the situation saying, “Yet again, a new dreadful record for homelessness has been set under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”
Charities dealing with the housing crisis expressed their concern stating that it was “inappropriate” for “thousands of children to begin a new academic year living out of emergency accommodation”. They also urged the authorities to “do substantially more… to safeguard the children whose childhoods are being wiped away day after day”.
Data released on Friday also reveals that for the first time in over ten years, the week of 22nd-28th July saw the number of adults living in emergency accommodation exceed 10,000, with 10,028 adults and 4,401 children. There were also 2,086 families seeking refuge in homelessness shelters, along with 6,573 single adults.
These numbers indicate a 12.3 per cent surge in the year from July last year, when 12,847 people were in need of emergency accommodation. These figures are against a backdrop of 14,303 people existing in emergency accommodation in June, which also included 9,899 adults and 4,404 children.
The figures do not take into account homeless people in domestic abuse shelters, those in direct provision centres who have the right to remain in the country but cannot access housing, anyone sleeping on the streets or the 2,577 male refugees who are waiting for a place to call home.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has initiated a new path to assess Ireland’s housing needs, guiding local authorities to appraise their total housing capacity on zoned lands. The minister has also prompted them to acknowledge the possibilities of residential development at new locations and to consider whether the expansion of zoned lands is necessary.
According to the Government’s provisional revised National Planning Framework, an average of 50,000 new housing units each year is essential to meet the needs of the nation, as per Darragh O’Brien’s insights. He anticipates a final formulation of annual housing targets by October, with a stronger emphasis on increasing output through the engagement of both public and private sectors in housing construction and funding.
“To achieve this increase in output, sufficient zoned and serviced land must be available at suitable locations to stimulate housing development and foster sustainable communities,” writes Minister O’Brien. He urges planning authorities to perform preliminary evaluations of available zoned and serviced lands for residential needs in their respective regions, ahead of approving the revised National Planning Framework.
Post-evaluation, should an expansion in zoned and serviced land quantity be deemed necessary, the minister recommends that local authorities begin determining the best suited locations for such expansion. Furthermore, preparations should also be made for the supporting evaluations that will be instrumental in reviewing required statutory development plans to cater to the updated targets.
“For any future land zoning proposals, they must be pushed forward with robust evidence, justified and aligned with relevant national and regional development policies,” he added.
In closing, he mentioned “the assessments should consider the availability and suitability of zoned and serviced lands in relation to various factors, including a region’s settlement hierarchy, servicing requirements, transport accessibility notably to high-capacity transport options, environmental implications and community and sustainable development considerations for any proposed new land.”