Homeless rise shames Coalition

"We will ensure that the comprehensive Homelessness Strategies now in place are implemented." This is not another local election pledge, but a commitment made on page 17 of the Agreed Programme for Government hammered out between the PDs and their partner in government, Fianna Fáil.

The reality is very different and was exposed this week by the annual report of the Dublin Simon Community, which found that homelessness in Dublin has increased significantly since 1999. The number of homeless families is up 20%, and the number of children homeless has increased by 15% to 1,140.

The most staggering statistic, however, was the revelation that not one homeless person helped by the charity last year was housed by any of the four local authorities in Dublin. Over half of those who are homeless are single, but according to Greg Maxwell of Simon, "official policy obstructs the provision of public housing for this vulnerable group. For many years it has been inordinately difficult for a single person who is homeless to get a council house. Now it is impossible."

Since being re-elected in 2002, the Government has abolished the first-time buyer's grant and amended planning legislation to allow their developer friends to avoid building social housing.

The most progressive legislation on housing since the General Election was a Bill from Sinn Féin to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution, something Simon, and other housing and homeless groups, are committed to supporting. But rights-based legislation is vehemently opposed by this government.

Sinn Féin has published numerous proposals to break up the land banks hoarded by developers, whose interests are best served by spiralling house prices.

Surplus State and Church lands should be transferred to Councils to allow the building of local authority homes.

Compulsory Purchase Orders must be used at current use value to obtain land for housing.

The hundreds of boarded up council homes must be made habitable again.

The failure of this government to tackle the housing crisis makes the need for radical solutions all the more glaring.

Seven years after the Coalition Government was elected, and four years since they produced Homelessness: An Integrated Strategy as their 'solution' to the problem, the homeless figures continue to skyrocket.

A lot of promises broken. A lot more to break.