Workers Party Rep Fiona McCarthy on the scandalous number of children living in temporary accommodation
"It is quite shocking that since January 2019 that the number of households living in temporary accommodation has increased by 138% the solution to this problem must be to rapidly expand the number of public housing being built."
Fiona McCarthy Workers Party representative for North Belfast says the Party is astonished at the number of children who are living in temporary accommodation as of January 2025, which will be added to the thousands already listed as homeless.
Households have been uprooted from areas they have lived in and moved further afield to be placed in temporary accommodation. Fiona said this has a detrimental effect on children who have to leave behind family friends and schools and health facilities they are familiar with.
Fiona continued this can impact on their health and wellbeing including their mental health. It is quite shocking that since January 2019 that the number of households living in temporary accommodation has increased by 138% the solution to this problem must be to rapidly expand the number of public housing being built.
While the Workers Party notes that housing is a standalone priorty it must be judged by actions and not words. There are also currently 19,000 households who are homeless and have applied to the NIHE but have yet to be awarded homeless status.
This is in addition to the 31,000 households which have been deemed homeless by the NIHE criteria. 19,500 children live in such households.
The Workers Party reiterates its longstanding call for a State Construction company to be set up and that an immediate programme of house building be commenced. The infrastructure needed to support the building of a large-scale housing programme must be put in place to facilitate the delivery of these much-needed homes.
Fiona concluded that the above demands can also boost the economy and create well paid sustainable employment and apprenticeships for our young people. The government has a duty to ensure that an urgent and credible homeless strategy is put in place to deal with this unconscionable situation. If this doesn’t happen and market forces continue to determine rent and house prices, thousands of people will remain homeless for the foreseeable future.
The right to a home is a human right and must be recognised as such.
