Focus Ireland, a charity aimed at aiding the homeless, has urged the government to consider directing a share of the new social housing allocation to families that have been homeless in the long-term. This proposal comes as the charity reports a 12.5% rise in its service beneficiaries in 2023 through its yearly report released today.
The approach of allotting part of the new social housing units to families who have experienced prolonged homelessness greatly contributed to the mitigation of homelessness throughout the pandemic, stated Focus Ireland’s CEO, Pat Dennigan on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
In light of Budget 2025 and the looming possibility of a general election, the charity pleads for the addition of more accommodation for individuals under the emergency accommodation protocol. It believes that a dedicated amount of the new social housing supply is crucial for homeless families.
The organisation’s report indicates that it had supported 18,000 individuals in 2023, up from 16,000, the year before. Furthermore, the report documented that Focus Ireland had helped 1,757 households either maintain their existing homes (657 households) or move out of homelessness (1,100 households), a near 10% rise from the preceding year (1,598).
Mr Dennigan expresses that the surge in those seeking help, which has been mounting month by month for a while now, is exceptionally high. “While housing and homelessness are indeed related, they’re distinct issues and tackling homelessness requires a well-rounded approach,” he reiterated.
The necessity of having a home base is vital but providing ongoing support to maintain that home for future stability is equally important, added Mr Dennigan. He ended on a hopeful note, mentioning the emergence of signs for availability growth in social housing. He emphasized that it’s been long overdue and needs to be boosted further.
Mr. Dennigan highlighted the urgency for both a greater supply of single-bed accommodations, as well as family sized units, expressing his concern for individuals requiring single-bed shelters and large families being overlooked and stuck in emergency housing. He proposed the allocation of some new social housing supply specifically for persistent homeless families, potentially around 10 to 20 per cent, to address the ongoing crisis, implying that a clear strategy can help in mitigating homelessness.
Mr. Dennigan went on to argue it’s unlikely for individuals to feign homelessness just to cut the housing list line, which can take 18 months to two years. He bemoaned the existing system, criticising it as bias against the homeless, causing substantial trauma and impacting their long-term welfare.
Highlighting the fact that homelessness shouldn’t be accepted as unavoidable, Dennigan firmly believes that implementing the correct policies can certainly defeat this issue. From Focus Ireland’s 2023 annual report, it’s revealed that the charity collaborated with 1,851 families, marking an increase of 11% than the previous year, and managed to aid more than 4,223 children.