The Government must make €4 billion available for social housing under the National Development Plan if it is to achieve its own targets of ending long-term homelessness, a report said today.
The 2007 annual report of Focus Ireland, which works with homeless people throughout Ireland, said there are 5,000 people homeless at any one time.
Focus Ireland said the investment should be “front-loaded” in the coming Budget under the NDP and should be used to acquire or build 10,000 social, 6,000 affordable and 2,000 new rental accommodation scheme (RAS) homes in 2009.
“This investment would make both financial and moral sense as it would act to stimulate the economy, protect jobs while also providing homes for those most in need by tackling homelessness and the social housing waiting lists backlog,” the organisation said today.
Focus Ireland life president and founder Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said it was “shocking” to see the level of shortfall in social housing during “the boom years”.
“The problem is worse now then when Focus Ireland was first set up 23 years ago. It is vital that urgent action is taken to address this shortfall as a home is the very foundation stone of any attempt to create a more equal society,” she said.
Focus Ireland said over 43,000 households were on local authority housing waiting lists today compared to 23,000 in 1991. Up to 5,000 people are homeless compared to 2,700 in 1991.
“We are acutely aware of the worsening economic situation and the increasing demands on public spending,” said Sr Stan.
“It is already becoming apparent that the demand for services from charities such as Focus Ireland is increasing as people feel the impact of the economic downturn. In such a climate it would be disastrous if government were to cut existing levels of funding.”
She said the failure to deliver on social housing targets made “a mockery” of the Government's commitment to meet its own target to end long-term homelessness by 2010. The organisation raised €6.2 million in 2007 from fundraising events, donations and corporate support.
A total of 45 per cent of this was from individual donors.