The closure of a homeless persons unit operated by the Northern Area Health Board (NAHB) of Dublin is a disgrace. Services from the designated office at Charles Street West have been unavailable for a month to some of the most unfortunate and deprived members of our society. These people have been forced to seek accommodation through a free phone service while other assistance has been routed through employment exchanges. It is simply not good enough to treat citizens, particularly those who find it extremely difficulty to cope, in this fashion.
The closure, in itself, is unconscionable. But it arises from a growing accommodation crisis in Dublin that is certain to have further negative social effects if it is not tackled energetically. The NAHB has explained that staff at Charles Street West have withdrawn their services because of concerns for their health and safety and that two secure premises, promised by Dublin Corporation to re-house the services, had not been made available. No indication has been given as to when the necessary refurbishment of these premises would be completed.
The number of persons attending for the first time at the Charles Street centre almost doubled - from 680 to 1,273 - between the first and second quarters of this year. This was in addition to about 1,400 people who were regularly found places in emergency accommodation. And the profile of those seeking help is changing - from those dependent on social welfare to those in low-paid employment who cannot now afford accommodation from their own resources. The NAHB has pointed out that the increase in demand for emergency housing is outstripping the rise in available spaces. This shortage of accommodation has led to long waiting times at the centre and increased frustration and aggression by clients, especially single men.
Unless the Government, or Dublin Corporation, ensures a sharp increase in the level of accommodation available, the underlying problems will remain and fester. The Simon Community has estimated the number of homeless people more than doubled during the past three years. Local authority waiting lists were similarly affected as young people found themselves squeezed out of the private housing market. Only 800 houses were built or purchased by Dublin councils last year. And the number of housing completions has fallen by 25 per cent this year. All of these factors are contributing to a worsening accommodation problem in Dublin, which impacts most severely on people living on the margins of society.