Homelessness in Co Kildare is now 'devastating' says Deacon
A Naas Catholic Deacon is deeply concerned that there are now 137 homeless children in Co Kildare.
Deacon Fergal O'Neill, volunteer for Our Lady & St David's Church, is appealing for businesses to start providing vouchers for hot meals to feed the homeless.
He is shocked at the 'acute' issue now in Naas town. According to Peter O'Byrne, volunteer at St Vincent de Paul, the waiting list for housing is at all time high through the entire county.
Essentially the 137 children are in emergency accommodation, while not in the streets, as they are children, they are likely being moved around to various places, due to lack of housing.
Landlords are increasingly refusing the Housing Assistance Payment( HAP), says Mr O'Byrne. The HAP scheme aims to allow all social housing supports to be accessed through one body - the local authority - and to enable people to take up full-time employment and keep their housing support.
Under the scheme, local authorities pay landlords directly. The rent being charged for the accommodation must be within the limits set down for the household type in that local authority’s area. Tenants pay a weekly HAP rent contribution to the local authority, based on their income and ability to pay.
He said: "More housing is needed. The situation is very bad at the moment. There are a lot of people homeless in Naas, people sleeping rough, they are sleeping in unoccupied buildings around the town."
Deacon O'Neill is concerned about the long term impact homelessness will have on children. He is concerned that there is nolonger available space in B&Bs for the homeless.
He said: "It is devastating, for children to be homeless, that memory will live on with them forever. Every child needs a stable home. Moving from one B&B to another is highly unstable."
There are now 157 homeless adults in Co Kildare, along with 134 children.
Increasing levels of homeless single females has been recorded along with rising levels of couples seeking a roof over their heads.