A homeless charity has called for hardship fund to help renters to be included in this year's Budget.
The Depaul charity, a national organisation tackling homelessness, assisted over 3,670 people in 2021, which CEO David Carroll described as a “monumental” year. He told listeners on RTE’s Morning Ireland that people should not have to choose between food, rent and fuel in order to make ends meet and called on the government to act ahead of the budget.
He said: “There is a concern that homelessness may get worse in the next couple of months due to the inflation crisis. It’s absolutely critical in the next couple of weeks that we think about people who may come into homelessness and turn off that tap as best we can.”
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He described single people entering homelessness as the most challenging group to rehome, adding that there was a difficulty getting this cohort settled in long term accommodation. The Department of Housing estimated that over 5,177 single adults were homeless in July of this year, the highest number on record.
Additionally, Depaul is also seeing an increase in women presenting at their service. The charity currently runs four services tailored specifically to the needs of homeless women. David added that this cohort is particularly vulnerable when left without accommodation.
He added: “The difference our services can make in women’s lives is remarkable. I met a woman who had been in and out of homelessness recently for 14 years. She is now drug and alcohol free and she puts that down to the availability of the women only service she utilised through DePaul.”
The housing crisis has left many people desperate for accommodation through the increasingly inaccessible private rental sector. The lack of housing across Dublin has led to colleges asking alumni to put up students in spare rooms. Social media footage sparked fury after dozens were spotted queuing to look at a rental property in Cabra last week.
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