Gaelic Voices for Change - Dec 16th sleep out

[magpie seanie]

Surprised this has not been mentioned here yet. I'm very proud of our GAA players for taking a leadership position and placing the focus firmly on the issue of homelessness. We need this horrible stain on our society to be ended. follow the group on twitter/FB and do what you can to help.

https://www.gaelicvoicesforchange.com/

[seafoid]

Social housing was dumped when Ireland went neoliberal and started to worship debt. It was the wrong thing to do. .banks and insurance companies could help build social housing.  They earn SFA on bonds.

[Rossfan]

The Credit Union movement offered the Govt €3bn or €5bn for housing purposes but offer was never accepted.
NAMA must have hundreds of hectares of housing land.
I'm sure the ECB would give us a one year interest free on the bail out loans to kick start social/affordable housing.
First the Government needs to pass a Housing Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act as there is a bloody emergency.

[Syferus]

Social housing done poorly creates more problems than it solves. I don't know if I trust our government or even the charities involved, no matter how pure their intentions, to tackle that issue in a sustainable manner.

The problems that lead to homelessness is rarely as simple as lack of housing anyways.

[Minder]

Social housing done poorly creates more problems than it solves. I don't know if I trust our government or even the charities involved, no matter how pure their intentions, to tackle that issue in a sustainable manner.

The problems that lead to homelessness is rarely as simple as lack of housing anyways.

Absolutely and it continues to be ignored, many people are homeless due to addiction and other complex issues and wouldn't be able to keep a house. It's not just as simple as a lack of houses

[Rossfan]

Those poor unfortunates were always with us even when there were 90,000 houses per annum being built.
8,000+ "regular" peopje living in emergency hotel rooms, rents gone through the roof, potential first time buyers caught in catch 22 of high prices/rents and the need for a 10% deposit which they'll never manage........
Not an original thought from Government on the issue -like the public health crisis it doesn't affect politicians' families so it's just waffle and try and manage the crisis.

[T Fearon]

The Sleep out should be attractive to those players familiar with the blanket defence.

[Syferus]

Those poor unfortunates were always with us even when there were 90,000 houses per annum being built.
8,000+ "regular" peopje living in emergency hotel rooms, rents gone through the roof, potential first time buyers caught in catch 22 of high prices/rents and the need for a 10% deposit which they'll never manage........
Not an original thought from Government on the issue -like the public health crisis it doesn't affect politicians' families so it's just waffle and try and manage the crisis.

Charities consistently fixating on housing hardly do many favours to the issue either. Politicians don't suddenly become a different species when they're deemed elected. The problems are societal. That means you, me, everyone. The fact is most of us don't really care, not just politicians.

First time buyers are the least of my concern. If someone has enough money to even contemplate a house purchase it's a very different problem from a lad with addiction problems sleeping on a piece of cardboard on the street.

[seafoid]

Kids in school shouldn't have to live in B&Bs when companies pay 15% tax. 2 rough sleepers died last week. Economic policies do kill people.
Social housing is about an attitude.  So is social support for people in crisis.
It is the same with mental health . A certain number of people will die every year because they don't know what can be done to help them.
Society will always have people in trouble.
 The question is what the priorities are. 

[T Fearon]

There was no rough sleeping in my young day,and there was hell of a lot less money about  all round.Of course drugs were unheard of,but families rallied round those members with addictions a lot better,mainly alcohol,and there would I'm sure have been collective family shame had a member been forced to sleep out.

[magpie seanie]

This is getting worse and has to be addressed. It's a multi faceted problem and there's simply no will to address it in political circles. We have to rebuilt our moral values as a society and start thinking for ourselves again - not accepting bullshit groupthink diktats about economic systems and such like.

As Corbyn puts it across the pond, quite simply and succinctly - for the many, not the few. We are Irish people - the island of the thousand welcomes. We cannot let this happen to people in our cities and towns no matter who's to "blame". Most human beings need a bit of help every now and then.

[Eamonnca1]

Social housing done poorly creates more problems than it solves. I don't know if I trust our government or even the charities involved, no matter how pure their intentions, to tackle that issue in a sustainable manner.

The problems that lead to homelessness is rarely as simple as lack of housing anyways.

Social housing when done right and properly funded can be very comfortable and not just for people on lower incomes. This is one area that's worth looking to other countries for examples to follow.

[Syferus]

Social housing done poorly creates more problems than it solves. I don't know if I trust our government or even the charities involved, no matter how pure their intentions, to tackle that issue in a sustainable manner.

The problems that lead to homelessness is rarely as simple as lack of housing anyways.

Social housing when done right and properly funded can be very comfortable and not just for people on lower incomes. This is one area that's worth looking to other countries for examples to follow.

Plenty of examples of public housing in most western countries of the best of intentions going terribly wrong. Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis got so bad it needed to be demolished within 16 years of its construction at massive cost, financially and socially. Projects like the renewal of the Ballymun flats area here seem to be significantly more successful.

Fixing the problems that lead someone to be homeless is much more important than building housing that will likely end up ghetoising people imho.

[Rossfan]

Not much interest in the Homeless/Accommodation in the Dáil it appears.
19 of the 158 attended a debate on this very important subject tester day.
2 FG
8 FF - 1 if them the Ceann Comhairle who has to be there. Our Eugene was one of  the 7.
3 SF
1 Lab
3 Loony PBP.
1 leftie Ind
1 Green.
Obviously no votes in it.
Now if it was about asking middle class townies to pay €3 a week towards the cost of public water and sewerage.......

[T Fearon]

Have the squads been announced for this yet? Is Connolly starting for the Dubs?