Mothers with young children unite to fight homelessness

Mothers left homeless with their young children have come together to highlight the housing crisis affecting families.

The group launched their Facebook page "Housing Action" in Dublin yesterday, which aims to bring together families hit by the housing crisis and force the Government to build suitable accommodation.

Mother-of-two Philomena Deans (25), from Airfield, said she had lived in privately rented accommodation but could not afford to pay the rent hike of €250 a month.

She said she had no choice but to live in a homeless unit on North Circular Road since the end of April. "The situation we're living in is diabolical," she said. "You can't tell people to be quiet because you'd be afraid. The walls are damp and the living conditions are not suitable for children."

'Sense of normality'
Ms Deans said she travelled more than an hour each way to bring her son (9) and daughter (4) to school each day, catching two buses and walking more than an hour. "I'm trying my best to keep some sense of normality," she said.

“My son said to me ‘Mom, I’m not going to school because what if the kids ask me where I live? I’ll be bullied for that.’ It’s very hard on him.”

Ms Deans said it was difficult to cook meals and pack lunches with a kitchen shared between about 10 families with up to six children each. “It’s not hygienic here. I am worried about the health of my children. It’s not fair on them. It’s terrible.”

Ms Deans said she was first on a waiting list for a house nine years ago.

Tamara Kearns (25), said her family became homeless when her husband’s hours were cut at work and they were evicted when they could not pay their arrears in rent.

The couple and their two young children were forced to stay in emergency accommodation and have lived in a unit for homeless people in Crumlin since last October.

“Families are being forced to stay in prison-like circumstances. People are really struggling to survive,” she said. “We’ve broken the taboo around being homeless by speaking out and introduced a new type of people homelessness – it’s families.

'An insult'
"What we're hearing from Government to tackle the homeless crisis is an insult. They have to build actual houses, both social and affordable."

Margaret Stapleton, who also lives in a homeless unit on North Circular Road with her three young children, said having no home was a “very demoralising and humiliating” situation to be in. Originally from Castleknock, she said it was not easy for families to all live in the same room. “Staff do their best and are good to us but the conditions we live in are dire,” she said. Ms Stapleton said she was evicted from her house when she could not pay her rent. “I just want to feel safe again and have a home for my children.”