The ending of the eviction ban tomorrow will add to the homelessness figures in the north west.
That’s according to the North West Simon Community. The charity says the publication this week of three reports on housing and homelessness heightens yet again its concern at the ending of the moratorium on no-fault evictions.
Noel Daly, CEO of North West Simon Community, says homelessness in the north west has
increased by over 58% year on year.
“And, taken together, the three reports clearly show the government is putting the cart before the horse by ending the moratorium on evictions tomorrow,” he said.
Last week, Sligo-based Councillor Thomas Healy received figures from the Residential Tenancy Board. These indicated that 88 households in Donegal, 54 households in Sligo and 27 in Leitrim are about to have Notices of Termination reactivated on April 1st.
The government’s Monthly Homelessness Report records that 146 individuals including 30 child
dependents were provided with Local Authority managed emergency accommodation in
counties Donegal, Leitrim, and Sligo, during the Week of 20-26 February 2023. The 109 homeless households included 12 families, comprising of 19 adults and 30 children as well as 97 single adults.
While the total number homeless is only 3 more than the total of 143 individuals homeless in January 2023, there has been a massive increase of 58.7% in the number of individuals in emergency accommodation year-on-year when compared to the 92 people officially homeless in February 2022.
Mr Daly points out that the government’s Monthly Homeless Reports relate only to
individuals and families provided with emergency accommodation by the local authorities. They do not include households frequently described as the ‘hidden homeless’ – people and families sleeping rough, living in cars and tents, sofa surfing, escaping domestic violence in refuges, sharing with parents, family, and friends, and/or living in houses unfit for habitation.
The Locked Out of the Market study suggests, Mr Daly argues, that the majority of the 169 households in the region whose “no fault” evictions are due to be reactivated when the moratorium ends, seem unlikely to find alternative private rented accommodation very quickly.
The Summary of Social Housing Assessment 2022, records that the number of eligible households whose current tenure was described as living with parents, family/friends increased by 10.6% in the North West in the past year.
“We have no way of knowing whether the extended families of those facing eviction on April 1 st will be able to accommodate them, even in the short term, but relying on this response should most certainly not become an aspect of government policy at any point,” Mr Daly added.
“I would urge any tenant facing eviction, or indeed any landlord who is seeking to sell their property, to contact the local authorities or ourselves at the earliest possible point to explore if there are alternatives to implementing the eviction notice.”
During the recent Dail Debates, however, the government consistently argued that it is unlikely there will be a significant increase in the number of people seeking emergency accommodation once the moratorium ends, because people will find other places to stay.
Anyone wishing to contact the North West Simon Community can do so by calling (071) 9147522 or email info@northwestsimon.ie
To donate to the charity, click on : https://www.northwestsimon.ie/donate-now/
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