This is John’s story…
No child should be without a home. But right now, thousands of children are trapped in temporary accommodation, living with worry, uncertainty and fear.
Help end child homelessness. For good.
Over 5,000 children live in temporary accommodation, and family homelessness in Ireland is getting worse. This isn’t just unacceptable – it’s totally wrong.
Homelessness steals children’s childhoods, one day at a time.
It disrupts their friendships and schooling. It harms their mental health, and it can damage their futures.
For decades, governments have been failing children and their families.
Enough is enough.
Together, we can end child homelessness in Ireland, for good. Will you join us?
Help shine a light on children without a home and call for urgent action. Add your name now, it only takes 1 minute.
Can you donate to help give children like John a secure home?
How we’ll make it happen together
Our five-point action plan could end child homelessness for good. Will you join us and call on the Government to leave no child without a home?
Stop no-fault evictions into homelessness
Landlords evicting tenants so they can sell the property is the largest single cause of family homelessness.
The Tenant-in Situ (TiS) scheme saved over 2,000 families from homelessness by buying homes landlords wanted to sell, before its funding was stopped.
Action: Start funding the TiS programme again immediately.
Stop families being evicted because of unaffordable rents
Thousands of low-income families rely on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to afford their rent.
Rents have increased 75% over ten years, but the Government hasn’t increased HAP, leaving people struggling to cover housing costs.
Action: Urgently review HAP rates, so that they reflect rising market rents.
Build enough of the right homes in the right places
Many families have been homeless for years because they can’t find homes big enough for their needs. But few large homes are being built.
And there’s not enough new social housing in towns and cities.
Action: The local authority housing league table should track the size and location of housing that is planned and delivered.
Prioritise long-term homeless families for social housing
Families who are long-term homeless don’t get a fair share of social housing.
We need more proactive, intentional policies to make sure that the families and children most in need are allocated housing as a priority.
Action: Ringfence a portion of social housing for families in long-term homelessness.
Protect children by putting their needs and interests first
Until no child is homeless, we need to protect children from the harm caused by having nowhere to call home.
A ‘best interest of the child’ rule would require local authorities to consider a child’s education, social and medical needs, and act to reduce the trauma of homelessness.
Action: Protect children by introducing a ‘best interest of the child’ regulation for local authorities.
Tell the Government it’s time for action
If you believe that every child should have a home, sign the petition now. It takes 1 minute.
Donate now to help change a child’s life
Homelessness hurts children the most. Your kindness today could give a child in emergency accommodation care, support and a new future.
“No child should ever have to grow up without a safe home of their own.”
- Angela, Focus Ireland case worker