Government’s Housing for All utterly failing as child homelessness soars

Government's Housing for All utterly failing as child homelessness soars

• Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have thrown in the towel

Labour's Leader and Housing Spokesperson Ivana Bacik TD has today condemned the Government's failure to tackle the escalating homelessness crisis, following the devastating publication of new figures showing that 14,029 people are now without a home, including a heartbreaking 4,401 children.

Deputy Bacik said:

"It is utterly heartbreaking to think of the 4,401 children heading back to school while living in emergency accommodation. These are not just numbers; these are young lives being shaped by an environment of uncertainty and instability. Children should be growing up in a secure and nurturing environment, not in emergency accommodation where the simplest of tasks, like completing schoolwork, may become a challenge.

"We know these figures offer just a glimpse into the true scale of the problem. Years of economic prosperity have been squandered by successive governments that have failed to address what is undoubtedly the issue of our time. The tragic result is that we now have thousands of children growing up without a place to call home. This government has utterly thrown in the towel on housing, leaving our most vulnerable to suffer."

Labour has long advocated for increased state involvement in housing delivery. Deputy Bacik emphasised Labour's vision for housing, which includes allocating an additional €1.45 billion in capital for housing delivery. "Our plan is comprehensive and realistic: we will protect renters, end speculative land hoarding, and double the state's delivery of cost rental and affordable housing. These measures are crucial to ensure that every person, particularly every child, has access to a safe, secure, and affordable home.

"It is now almost three years since the Government's 'Housing for All' plan was launched, and it has failed on every metric. House prices are up, homelessness is up, and evictions are up. The Government's housing policy has failed miserably.

"This Government has shown itself incapable of tackling this crisis. We need a new Government with the will and the vision to address housing for everyone in emergency accommodation, but especially for the 4,401 children who deserve so much better."