Several homeless Dubliners have pitched up in tents along the Royal Canal and say its safer than the alternatives. But they’ve been told they have to move on.
“Our research repeatedly shows that the largest single cause of family homelessness is landlords selling up and using loopholes in the law to evict families,” says Mike Allen of Focus Ireland.
“Sleeping bags are provided to clients as a humanitarian response when there is no accommodation available,” says the DRHE. But rough-sleepers say that doesn’t always happen.
In cities such as Belfast and Glasgow, only a small number of beds for homeless people are night-time-only. Can, and should, we move away from them here?
At meetings this week, councillors discussed where exactly “family hubs” for homeless families will be, and settled on social and affordable housing figures for Poolbeg West.
Minister Simon Coveney promised to end the use of hotels to shelter homeless families by 1 July. To some, a big part of his plan sounds like rebranding, rather than real change.
There were no beds available for women in homeless hostels on 15 February, according to Dublin Regional Homeless Executive. And some say it wasn’t a one-night problem.
