Focus Ireland: Homelessness in Dublin at another crisis point
Focus Ireland has said that Dublin has reached another crisis point as family homelessness peaks again.
The homeless charity reported that a record 71 homeless families were referred to it in April.
Focus Ireland's Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen, said they are coming across more families sleeping in cars and other unsuitable places.
They have written to Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly calling for an increase in rent supplement to match market rents to keep families in their existing homes.
They said that a rise in rent supplement would keep families in their existing homes and prevent them becoming homeless.
He added that the problem is spreading to other cities such as Cork and Galway.
The charity has called on the Minister to direct local authorities to provide suitable emergency accommodation to any family facing homelessness.
A spokesperson for the minister said actions have and are being taken to address the situation.
Mr Allen said, although more is being done, the problem is still getting worse.
He said: "If you go back a year ago, it was about 32 coming in every month, if you go back a year before that, it was about 16, so year after year it has been doubling.
"The Government and local authorities are doing more to try and respond to it, but no matter what people are doing the sitiuation is continuing to get worse.
"So, of those 71 families, what happens is they get put up in a B&B or a single hotel and they are very often far away from the schools where the kids are."
