Green Party Calls For Urgent Action On Increasing Homelessness

The Northern Ireland Executive has overseen a rise in homeless figures "unrivalled by any comparable nation", Green Party NI Leader Senator Mal O’Hara has said.

Recent figures released to the NI Assembly showing number of people with homeless status reaches 58,238, a 135.5% increase in 10 years. Senator O'Hara said: "The executive parties have overseen a rise in homeless figures unrivalled by any comparable nation. It is an absolute disgrace that the executive can carry on as normal, while every day more people are facing housing stress, more people are sent to the back of housing list to wait decades for a home, more people are carted around the country just to keep a temporary roof over their heads."

Senator O'Hara continued "How much longer can this executive go on, ignoring the root causes of homelessness. Under investment in social housing, failure to properly regulate the private rented sector and allowing land hoarding to run rampant. This is exemplified by the executive only allocating enough funding for 500 social homes this financial year. At this pace it will take 60 years to clear the backlog of over 30,00 homeless households. The reflex from the executive parties is to blame Tory austerity or chronic under investment in Northern Ireland. They will not take responsibility for their 26 years of on and off government."