Of all the things that are not right in this country at present (and there are many), surely the rising curse of homelessness is one of the most disgraceful of all.
Having a home however humble where you can leave the world outside your own front door is one of the most basic requirements we human beings have.
We should be capable of sorting out our own housing mess but it’s not happening because successive government have got it badly wrong and, it would appear, our present government is only picking at the edges of the problem.
Fact: Thousands of families and individuals (about 2,000 applications in Waterford alone) are desperate for their own home be it a one-bed flat or a three-bed house depending on requirement.
Fact: Most of them have little hope of being facilitated any time soon.
Fact: No responsible person can deny that the amount of misery, worry and suffering is shameful and will have untold consequences down the line.
Fact: The number of people, even those in employment, who have no chance of purchasing their own home is rising and has been rising for quite some time.
Fact: Many thousands who had their own homes have lost them because they couldn’t afford the repayments and even more thousands are living off their wits trying to hold on to their houses. In this segment, hidden poverty is endemic.
Question: Where are the inspirational leaders, the modern day patriots who can sort out this problem?
Suggestion: An all-party agreement on a task force that will tackle and greatly improve the situation within a relatively short period of time should be arrived at immediately.
Nobody’s rights should walked upon but the task force should have the power, resources and authority to cut through needless bureaucracy, knock heads together if necessary and get the job done in the shortest timeframe possible.
