Madam, – With 40,000 families in arrears with their mortgages, many in danger of becoming homeless, the recent news from Allied Irish Bank that some form of “debt forgiveness” is being considered offers a slight glimmer of hope to those on the brink of despair. Perhaps other lenders will be influenced by this initiative, particularly at Easter time, and will do likewise.
Consider also, the 5,000 homeless people, many of whom have to sleep in doorways, under canal bridges and in parks.
According to the government that is now licking its wounds, homelessness would no longer exist at the end of 2010.
Perhaps the new team in charge, encouraged by all members of the Opposition, could ensure that just 50 cent per week, from each of the 1.8 million still employed in our country, could be directed to a State fund that would: 1. Alleviate the plight of the homeless. 2. Benefit a proportion of stressed mortgage-holders. 3. Put some money into the banks in a practical manner.
How would it work? Five thousand willing mortgage-holders, each with a room to spare, could offer to take in one, or more, homeless persons. The State would pay €780 per month for each homeless person to the bank on behalf of the mortgage-holder from the aforementioned fund. – Yours, etc,