IMPACT’s campaign to defend Dublin’s homelessness services is now well underway with members asking all local election candidates to pledge to protect funding if they are elected to Dublin local authorities for the next term.
We’ve set up an on-line facility to help Dubliners contact their local candidates to seek their commitment that homelessness services won’t be cut in future. Taking part is easy, just follow the link, choose your electoral area, edit the template letter (non-members are also welcome to take part in the campaign) and with a few clicks every candidate on your ballot paper receives your message.
Speaking last week at an IMPACT conference on the future of local government services, IMPACT official Ashley Connolly applauded Dublin City councillors’ decision to increase homelessness spending in 2014, but said guarantees were needed to protect funding in future years.
“In 21st century Ireland we are still reading about homeless people living in public lavatories and dying in dumpsters. Families with young children are living in hotel rooms with nowhere to play and nowhere to cook. Demand for housing in Dublin is increasing while funding and staffing is in decline. In January Dublin City councillors exerted their power and rejected a budget that would have seen €6 million slashed from homeless services. We are confident that those councillors and other candidates will now want to show continued support for these vital services into the future,” she said.
Ms Connolly said the provision of housing should be a key function of local authorities. “Around 100,000 people are on social housing waiting lists across the country. Even as we emerge from recession, rents are rising and the number of people sleeping rough on Dublin streets is on the increase. We can’t leave this to the private housing market. We need a properly-funded collaborative effort between local councils and not-for-profit agencies to provide affordable homes and address a growing housing and homelessness crisis,” she said.
Ms Connolly said Dublin’s homeless services had seen enough cuts since 2008. “Redundancies, reduced hours and reduced budgets have put enormous pressure on services throughout the recession. This year, the councillors’ decision brought some good news, but we need to keep fighting for homeless budgets to be maintained,” she said.
WATCH: The IMPACT homeless pledge campaign video and take part in the action HERE. Follow the campaign on Twitter using the #lepledge14 hashtag.
