The founder of a housing charity for the homeless has called on the Irish Government to insert the right to a home into the constitution.
Sr Jean Quinn set up Sophia Housing in 1997. Last year the charity supported 1,034 people, including 226 families and 510 children, a 14 per cent increase on the number of people it supported in 2018, and a 100 per cent increase on four years ago.
Speaking to the Tablet, Sr Quinn said: “There is no reason for the Government not to take this step. Other places in Europe have already done it, even if they don’t have it in their constitution, they have it in their statutes.”
The right to housing is guaranteed by the Dutch Constitution. Belgium, Finland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have also placed a similar obligation on the State through their constitution or laws.
It was endorsed by 84 per cent of those involved in Ireland’s Constitutional Convention in 2014.
Referring to her role as executive director of UNANIMA International, a coalition NGO of women religious which advocates at the United Nations on behalf of women and children, Sr Quinn said that the UN was looking at the need for housing to be enshrined as a right in national constitutions or laws.
“We recognise that a fully functioning democracy should be offering housing to people. Housing or a home is essential for human wellbeing. Surely to God in a country the size of Ireland we can have something somewhere in the constitution on homelessness,” she said.
The homeless campaigner said she also wanted to hear more elected representatives in Ireland, particularly government ministers, talking more about homelessness. “If you look at the strategy for government, they talk about homelessness extensively, but I rarely hear the word from government ministers.”
This year, Sophia Housing will build 200 homes for the homeless and vulnerable on lands that were previously owned by religious orders with €40 million in state funding. Sr Quinn describes the projects as “unique, wonderful and huge”. The plans include the redevelopment of the site of the Sacred Heart School in Portlaoise, Co Laois for 42 homes.
She believes the homelessness crisis and particularly child homelessness is a scandal which future generations will judge harshly. “I get very upset when I hear children talking about what it is like being in a hostel or a B&B or coming out of the side door of a hotel so that they won’t be seen. It is just so painful.”
The 71-year-old believes there must be a further moratorium on evictions in the private rental sector as the pandemic continues into 2021.
“The virus does not affect us all equally. It is true, everybody can get the virus – but everybody can’t get out of it the same way. Homeless people in shelters, hostels and B&Bs as well as those in direct provision are on top of each other. People are getting Covid because of this.”
Referring to the Irish Government’s efforts last March in the first lockdown to get people off the streets, she lamented that when the summer came people were back on the streets because the accommodation was needed for the limited tourism that happened.
“I have a real issue with that,” she criticised. “There are lots of new homeless because people are out of work due to Covid. They are finding it hard to pay rent. Some kind of additional funding or support is needed. What is happening at the moment is that people are having to go to the voluntary sector like the St Vincent de Paul to get that additional money.”
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