The Irish Homeless Policy Group, a group formed by several organisations which work in the sphere of housing and homelessness, launched on January 7 at an event at Buswells Hotel ‘10 key actions on homelessness’ to be included in the next Programme for Government.
According to the group, the latest figures show that a total of 15,199 people are now homeless. Speaking at the event, Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy Mike Allen said: “Homelessness has risen by 47% since the previous General Election in 2020 and while all political parties constantly refer to homelessness as a ‘priority’, they seem to be bringing few concrete and evidence-based ideas to the table.”
“We believe that homelessness is solvable and that a collaborative approach which brings together organisations on the frontline along with local authorities and State agencies, with strong Cabinet support, is the best approach to solving it.”
The group also said in a report: “The key housing and homeless policies included in the new Programme for Government will have huge implications on preventing and reducing homelessness and creating exit pathways for individuals and families over the coming years.”
The ‘key actions’ are:
• Develop collaborative structures to end homelessness;
• Build enough homes;
• End long-term homelessness by 2030;
• Prioritise homeless prevention measures;
• Ensure that nobody has to sleep rough, regardless of legal status;
• Develop strategy for Private Rental Sector;
• Fully implement the Youth Homelessness Strategy;
• Introduce a range of measures to tackle issues facing homeless families;
• Improve mental health services for people experiencing homelessness;
• Improve the transparency of access to homeless services.