Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This evening, there are 34 two and three-bedroom properties available to rent for less than €1,200 in Longford and Westmeath. I fully agree with my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, that 2021 must be about preventing homelessness. We are leaving behind significant and growing numbers of people who live in our communities - our friends and neighbours. What would have been unthinkable a few years ago is now an everyday occurrence. Next week, not for the first time, Santy will visit children who do not sleep in their own beds. For far too many, there is a commonplace and almost automatic route from private rented accommodation to emergency accommodation, which now also has waiting lists. Some families in my constituency who find themselves at the end of their notices to quit face the stark reality of being separated and of not only leaving their town, but their county. We know there are multiple complex reasons for this, but they are not impossible to tackle. We need policies that help renters when the need is first identified.

The system in place means there is little to no support until a family is staring homelessness in the face and that must change. A notice to quit does not just represent the loss of a roof over somebody's head. It impacts on the everyday realities of life which are made more difficult because of the housing crisis. Does a family need to leave a town where they have always lived? Will their children need to find new schools? How will they get to work? Will they need to find a new GP? All these realities cause additional stress, worry and anxiety for all members of the household and not just the parents. An additional burden is also placed on wider family members without adequate space, who will often offer a bed or a sitting room.

There is no such thing as hidden homeless. These people are in our towns and our communities. They are in all our constituencies. The threat of homelessness needs to be addressed as soon as there is an identified risk. Supports need to escalate earlier than the moving-out date and not when the family is on the verge of handing back the keys.

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