A HOMELESS SUPPORT unit run by the national housing charity, Threshold, resolved 81 cases of homelessness last year, with the majority of these involving children.
In total 51 children were housed by the Access Housing Unit last year – a unit that helps homeless people to move into private rented accommodation.
A report published today by the charity shows that last year was their busiest year ever recorded. Threshold’s Dublin Access Housing Unit received 800 referrals in 2013, an increase of 77 per cent on the previous year.
Busy year
Commenting today, Fionnughla McLoughlin, Assistant Manager of the Access Housing Unit, said between 2010 and 2013, they noted a drop of the amount of rental properties being advertised as well as a drop in landlords willing to accept rent supplement.
“This means, for low-income tenants in Dublin, there are very few options available,” she said, adding referrals to their service almost doubled in the past year, due to a range of factors such as a serious shortage of rental accommodation in the city, the rise in rents, welfare cuts and rent supplement caps.
Accommodation
She said the result is that many low-income, vulnerable families are no longer able to make their rent or find suitable accommodation within their price-range.
According to Threshold, referrals to the organisation’s homeless support service rose steadily not only in 2013, but also in the previous three years.
In 2010, the service dealt with 260 referrals while in 2011 the figure increased to 394. In 2012, it was 453.
Each year, Threshold helps over 21,000 people throughout Ireland to resolve a housing crisis.
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