Munster Express Online

Independent TD Deputy John Halligan has said homelessness in Waterford is fast approaching ‘crisis point’, with parents and young children left under massive strain living in local B&Bs for months on end.
And the Independent Alliance member said that the number of people contacting his office who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless has reached “record levels” over the past two months.
“I’d estimate that my office has helped more people who are homeless in the last three months then it did in the entire first year I was in office,” he stated.

“I have never seen such a state of chaos, with families with young children shunted off to B&Bs in Waterford indefinitely and expected to live a normal life in emergency accommodation, where they have no proper kitchen or laundry facilities, nowhere for their children to play and no hope of getting into a home of their own. It is a hopeless and horrendous situation for any parent to be in.”
Deputy Halligan added: “I’m dealing with cases of single mothers with babies and young children who are in local B&Bs in excess of six months and they have no fridge in their room to even store milk, never mind heat any food up for their children. They’re living on sandwiches and takeaways and walking the town with their babies and toddlers every day, trying to kill time, as the children are not allowed to play outside their own bedroom in their B&B.
John Halligan claimed that Government policy in relation to local Rent Supplement had proven a major contributory factor in the escalating crisis in Waterford.
“Promises of more social housing being built mean nothing to a distressed young mother who has nowhere to go, whose child is traumatised over their home being lost,” he continued.
“If a person does manage to save the money for a deposit, they’re invariably told by landlords that they won’t accept HAP/ rent allowance. And even if they do, the current rate for a single parent with one child is €475, yet the average cost of a two bedroom house in Waterford is over €700. It is ridiculous.”
Deputy Halligan has called for an overhaul of Rent Supplement rates in Waterford and proposing that applicants are given the deposit immediately when they find suitable accommodation, instead of being forced to wait weeks or even months.
“All indications suggest rent prices in Waterford will again go up in 2016 and, unless the rent supplement rates also increase, we are looking at an escalation of our local homelessness crisis this year,” he stated.
“People cannot afford to top up the unrealistic amount that the Government gives and – even if they could – they can’t get the deposit together to secure the property in the first place.
“If they do, the massive strain caused by the shortcoming in the rent supplement means they’re cutting back on heating and food to make ends meet. All the while, we have vulnerable children across Waterford suffering.”