Housing action plan described as having a ‘split personality ’

Focus Ireland has called the new Government scheme for the housing and rental sector as a "split personality plan".

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney unveiled his action plan for housing on Tuesday.

It aims to increase the number of homes built per year to 25,000 by 2021.

It also aims to provide 47,000 social housing units in the same period, with funding for social housing increased to €5.35 billion from a previously announced €3.7 billion.

Mr Coveney said his plan aimed to bring “normality” to Ireland’s deeply dysfunctional housing sector.

It comes as the latest homeless figures, published by the Department of Housing this week, showed there were 6,358 people in emergency accommodation during the week of June 20th to 26th.

Mike Allen, director of advocacy for homelessness charity Focus Ireland, said the Government's Action Plan for Housing did not go far enough to address the underlying problems causing homelessness.

“This problem is getting worse. The Minister is not acknowledging that it is going to get worse before it gets better,” he said.

“This is a split personality plan.”

Mr Allen said he welcomed some aspects of the plan but there needs to be deeper thinking about the causes of homelessness especially for families.

“How do you address the issue to ensure that it doesn’t happen again? We need to look for a solution to the underlying problem.”

He said it was great the plan was completed in 75 days, but the speed with which it had been compiled meant that some issues were overlooked.

“The really deep, serious issues need longer and deeper consideration. In the past month a further 72 families became newly homeless. This problem is getting worse,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

Mr Allan said his organisation sees itself as part of the solution to the problem but the plan did not recognise them as key partners in delivery of such a solution.

“The plan needs to include us in the delivery of this if it is to succeed,” he said.