LABOUR IN GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO ENDING LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS

Posted on February 21, 2013 4:25 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Dublin Bay North Labour Party T.D., Seán Kenny, has said that Labour in Government is committed to ending long-term homelessness, and has saluted Minister Jan O'Sullivan for setting 2016 as the target date for ending it.

"Achieving this hugely important goal in the year that marks the centenary of the 1916 Rising is something everyone should support. Homelessness is an affront to every value that we assign to the concept of citizenship. In a real republic there is an onus on us all to ensure that all citizens have a place they can call home. The dignity and equality of citizens has always been a fundamental political principle for me. As an elected representative I strive to have that principle at the forefront of all that I do, and this is particularly true when dealing with homelessness."

"I want to pay tribute to Jan O'Sullivan, the Minister for Housing, for making this commitment. The Homelessness Policy Statement that she has announced also puts the 'housing-led' philosophy at the centre of housing policy."

"Housing-led approaches to homelessness provide better outcomes for people. The idea behind the policy is that people are provided with long-term, stable housing as early as possible. It moves away from the traditional 'staircase' model which sees individuals and families move between various stages, including emergency accommodation, before eventually securing an appropriate place."

"The housing-led approach has the capacity to assist people break the cycle of poverty and homelessness by providing them with stability and security. Providing them with additional support to sustain their tenancies is also a critical part of the approach. By moving away from over-reliance on expensive emergency accommodation the 'housing-led' strategy can also provide better value for the significant amount of public money invested in homeless services."