Singer and Actor Paul Byrom with his dog Bradley took part in a bucket collection for
Focus Ireland in Dublin City Centre in the run up to Christmas. Photo: Leon Farrell/
Photocall Ireland 
The Government should seize the moment and set a deadline for an end to homelessness writes St Stanislaus Kennedy RSC
Focus Ireland has been working harder than ever this year in partnership with the State and together we have helped over 800 families to secure a home and leave homelessness behind. There has been great work done during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep people safe. We have also helped to reduce the number of people homeless from a record high of over 10,000 people to 7,685 people.
None of us would ever wish for this pandemic but we must make sure that Covid-19 is a real turning point in the battle to end homelessness. I can remember back in 1987, which was the International Year of Homelessness, predicting that within six or seven years, we would end long-term homelessness. It could have happened, except that governments reneged on commitments to provide houses. And so the numbers of people experiencing homelessness grew and grew, up until it was way beyond crisis.
However, it is really positive that the number of people now homeless is the lowest it has been for a few years. I would stress though there is much work still to be done. As the country starts to emerge from lockdown, there is still much uncertainty ahead. Many people are suffering job losses and there will be a recession which means every action needs to be taken to ensure we not only stop the numbers homeless rising again.
No family should ever have to go through the trauma of losing their home and being homeless. No child should ever be born into homelessness. Families and individuals lose their homes because they can’t afford to pay the rent or the house is sold or repossessed. They have been called ‘the new homeless’. That is the people who become homeless for purely economic reasons. I believe that, as a country, we have a duty to look after all our citizens, especially those who are most vulnerable. We must cherish all our children equally and ensure that no child suffers from being homeless.
Realistic solutions
Focus Ireland will continue to develop realistic policy solutions to help end homelessness. We also work through over 80 front-line services in Dublin and across the country so we are there when people need us the most. This amazing work is done in partnership with the State, as well as through kind support from our generous donors. All of us at Focus Ireland firmly believe that homelessness can be ended.
As I write this, we are still dealing with the Covid-19 public health emergency and Focus Ireland is working more closely than ever with the State and partner organisations to protect people who are homeless. Welcome steps, such as the temporary ban on evictions and the rent freeze, had a big impact in cutting the numbers becoming homeless. We have helped to move record numbers of families and individuals out of homelessness in this period.
Focus Ireland is also set to soon launch a campaign calling on the Government to set a deadline to end homelessness. This commitment to a deadline to end homelessness must be backed up by a realistic plan and timeline to achieve this.
We believe this is important as no country has ever managed a significant reduction in homelessness without having a firm commitment to ending it. When there was a previous Government commitment to ending long-term homelessness by 2010 this led to the lowest ever level of homelessness in Ireland.
That success was swept away by the economic crisis. We can, and must, do better next time.
Sr Stanislaus Kennedy RSC is founder and life president of Focus Ireland.
