The majority of families becoming homeless in Dublin are either losing their homes in the private rented sector or are unable to access it, an unpublished report from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive finds.
The report, which analyses the reasons why 78 families became homeless in the capital in August, was written as a briefing note for Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly. These families had never been homeless before.
The report’s findings are likely to increase pressure for the introduction of rent certainty measures to stabilise the private rented sector.
Rented accommodation
The report finds half the families (39) “stated the primary reason for their homelessness related to a loss of or inability to secure private rented accommodation”.
Of these, 32 families were issued with notices to quit by their landlord.
Three left their accommodation because it was of poor quality, and two families who were returning to the Dublin region could not afford private rented accommodation. One family had to leave the parental home as it was sold and they could not source private rented accommodation, and one family had left a private rented property as the home they planned to move to fell through at the last minute and they could not source an alternative.
A further nine families had to leave where they were staying because of overcrowding, and 22 families became homeless because of relationship breakdown with partners, others or parents.
Broken relationships
“Of the 22 families that detailed relationship breakdowns, nine were with parents and five with partners, two of which refer to domestic violence. However, further investigation is required to determine whether the loss of private rented accommodation contributed directly or indirectly to these relationship breakdowns,” says the report.
The figures indicate at least 60 per cent of the families who became newly homeless in Dublin in August did so because of problems with the private rented sector (50 per cent) or because of overcrowding and possible inability to access private rented accommodation to enable them to move on (11 per cent).
Three of the families said they had to leave their homes as they were victims of anti-social behaviour. One of these left a private rented property, one council house or flat and the tenure of the last was unclear.
Two families said they left their homes voluntarily without giving more specific reasons, and there was “insufficient information” available on the remaining three families.
