Councillors told to find ‘concrete’ solutions to family homelessness

Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly, has written to all Dublin City councillors telling them "concrete, tangible solutions" must be found to the family homelessness crisis in the city.

The email sent today by Larry Kelly, private secretary to the Minister, comes on foot of the rejection by councillors last week of a proposal to refurbish 64 vacant flats in O'Devaney Gardens to be used to house homeless families.

Under the proposal these flats would have housed 400 homeless families over the next five years. Councillors opposing the plan said the dilapidated flats complex should be fully regenerated rather than a portion of them being refurbished for five-years.

Minister Kelly earlier this week expressed his frustration at the decision saying he was not getting the necessary co-operation from councillors in addressing the escalating family and child homelessness crisis in the capital. Earlier this week The Irish Times reported there were now 911 children, in 411 families, in emergency hotel-type accommodation Dublin.

The Minister said said of the councillors’ rejection of the proposal: “That was a big project and an important project and I don’t agree with that decision.”

“The simple fact of the matter is we are spending millions on hotels, it’s not a sustainable solution.

“We wanted to provide apartments for people who needed them, families with children who needed them, and we were going to look at developing regeneration on a phased basis.

“The councillors decided in their wisdom that wasn’t the right road to take. We are under very big time pressure and we have to find alternatives.... But I do need co-operation. I need co-operation from the local authorities in particular.

“Certainly that co-operation needs to reach a level that hasn’t been reached yet.”

In his email to councillors today Mr Kelly says he has been instructed to write to them by the Minister.

“The role of the Department in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level,” he says.

“Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities. I understand the proposal to create a temporary accommodation centre for homeless families with children, was rejected by the elected members.”

“The Minister wishes to emphasise that it is essential that the Council progresses alternative solutions for the increasing number of homeless families in Dublin.

“The Council must bring forward concrete, tangible solutions to alleviate the temporary accommodation needs of homeless families who are residing in hotels and B&Bs.”