Campaigner: Homeless number closer to 15,000
Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry says that figures for the homeless are closer to 15,000, but that the actual figure is "irrelevant" because the trend is “going up and up and up.”
He says that a recent report from Dublin City Council predicts that the figures are going to continue to increase for the next three years.
Fr McVerry pointed out that Dublin City Council spent €66million on homeless services in 2016, this increased to €148million in 2018 and if the current trend continues, that figure will rise to €300million by 2021, he said.
“That’s not providing accommodation or building houses, that’s just getting people into beds for the night in hotels, bed and breakfasts or emergency accommodation,” he told RTE radio’s .
“We’re in this mess because councils stopped building and pushed people into the private sector with HAP.”
Fr McVerry said that €2million is being spent every day paying HAP to landlords. “They should be increasing council housing.
“The Government is clearly on the side of the banks, the vulture funds and property owners.”
He repeated his call for a moratorium on evictions.
“Just for three years until we get a grip on the situation," he explained.
The alternative is putting thousands of families through the trauma of homelessness. It is just going to be an inconvenience for landlords.
The Government’s current policy is failing to come to grips with the issue and is like “emptying the bath with the taps on.”
“They have to come up with another solution.”
He also warned that “coming down the road” are 40,000 people in mortgage arrears. If 50 per cent are repossessed as is predicted: “this country won’t be able to cope with the homeless crisis.”
