Labour Councillor Helen Ogbu has demand urgent action to prevent family homelessness and strengthen housing supports in Galway
Labour Councillor Helen Ogbu has called on the Government to act urgently to prevent families from falling into homelessness, following the publication of August figures showing 17,885 people in emergency accommodation nationally, including 5,830 children.
“There is nothing normal about 5,830 children spending August in emergency accommodation. Behind every statistic is a child and a family who need stability, security and a place they can call home,” she says.
“Here in Galway, I continue to hear from families who are struggling to secure suitable and affordable accommodation or who are facing the possibility of losing their home. The pressure on housing is being felt directly by families in our communities.
“Galway City Council provides important homelessness services and supports, but local authorities cannot solve this crisis without the necessary Government investment, housing supply and national policy measures.
“Families need more than emergency accommodation when they lose their home. They need a realistic pathway into secure housing and effective measures to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.
“The Government’s Child and Family Homeless Plan must be published without further delay, with clear actions, measurable targets and the funding required to deliver them.
“We also need urgent action on Housing Assistance Payment. Families relying on HAP are facing a private rental market where finding another suitable and affordable home can be extremely difficult when a tenancy ends. For families with children, the prospect of losing their home and having nowhere suitable to go creates enormous uncertainty and stress.
“October’s Budget must put housing security and homelessness prevention at the centre of its priorities. That means increasing the supply of genuinely affordable homes, strengthening supports for families at risk of homelessness, addressing the pressures facing HAP households and ensuring local authorities have the resources they need to respond effectively.
“We also need stronger preventative measures so that families are not reaching the point of homelessness before help becomes available. Early intervention, tenancy sustainment and appropriate supports can make a significant difference.
“Galway cannot solve the national housing crisis alone. We need the Government to properly support local authorities and provide them with the resources and tools necessary to meet the scale of housing need in our communities.
“Children should not have to grow up without the security of a permanent home. Every month of delay means more families living with uncertainty. Children cannot wait and families cannot wait. We need action now to keep people in their homes and to give those already experiencing homelessness a genuine pathway to secure, affordable housing.”
