Irish bishops call for action to counter homelessness

December 10, 2015

Lamenting the increasing numbers of homeless individuals and families in Ireland, the nation’s bishops said in a December 10 statement that the situation “points to serious failures in social policy and inadequate social protection.”

“In this season of Advent it is important that we, in our local church communities, reach out to those who are living with the painful reality of homelessness or housing insecurity,” the bishops stated, as they called upon parishes to be “welcoming and supportive environments for those who find themselves in this situation.”

“The present situation requires a redoubling of efforts by all relevant statutory and voluntary agencies in order to pool resources to prevent the death of homeless people on our streets,” as well as “investment in social housing to provide sustainable solutions to the housing issues in our communities” and “a strategy for dealing with mortgage arrears which enables families to remain in their homes,” the bishops added.

 

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Further information:

• Statement by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference to mark International Human Rights Day on 10 December 2015