Gino Kenny warns lifting eviction ban will trigger mass homelessness
Gino Kenny spoke on 22 Feb 2023 about the planned lifting of the eviction ban and the wider housing crisis, arguing the move will drive thousands into homelessness. He said the State must use emergency measures to prevent people becoming homeless and that relying on the private market and neoliberal models has failed.
Warning on eviction ban
He warned that lifting the eviction ban, whether in April or June, will begin a process that will see thousands go into emergency accommodation and homelessness.
Councils and emergency accommodation
Kenny said councils are already reporting they may not have room for people who become homeless, leaving families with nowhere to go and, in extreme cases, sheltering in police stations.
Scale and duration of the crisis
He pointed to over 10,000 people currently in that situation and described the housing crisis as now in its second decade, saying the situation has continued unabated for decades.
Political responsibility and proposed remedy
Kenny blamed the reliance on the free market and private developers and criticised Fine Gael for 12 years in power, arguing they are not the political entity to solve the crisis. He called for a change in government and a radical approach to housing, including emergency measures to stop people becoming homeless.
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Okay, I'll start. Minister, in an emergency situation, we need emergency measures. And I don't think anybody is disputing that we're in a deep crisis in relation to housing assistance in this country. And the State has got to do everything in its power to stop people going into homelessness. And as we stated many, many times, there's over 10,000 people in that situation. And the housing crisis is now in its second decade. And there's no kind of coincidence that Fianna Gael, since being in power, actually 12 years today, have been a part of that kind of political landscape of that ongoing crisis. And to lift the eviction ban, whether it's April or June, it will start a process that will see thousands of people going into emergency accommodation. And I'll tell you, Minister, how bad the situation is. In the councillors at the moment, if somebody finds themselves going into homelessness, that's a situation where they find themselves homeless, going into emergency accommodation, the councils are now saying they don't even have room for them situations. You could have a situation where families. You could have a situation where families, hundreds, possibly thousands, will have nowhere to go. Have nowhere to go. Other than police stations, places where to shelter. And that's just not absolutely unacceptable in this situation. And we've seen it, Minister, as I said, over the last number of decades, this situation is only getting worse. And it comes down to ideology. I know they're kind of sick of saying this. But no, there should be no situation where actually anybody finds themselves in a homeless situation. But that has continued, unabated, for the last number of decades. Because relying on the free market, relying on the neoliberal model of housing people to the private developers has failed, has completely failed. And there has to be a radical approach. And that radical approach, Minister, I believe Fine Gael are not the political entity to deal with that crisis. You have had 12 years in power, and you continue to exacerbate the crisis. There needs to be a change in government, Minister, and there needs to be a completely radical approach to housing our citizens.
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