Government made a catastrophic error in lifting eviction ban

• Record breaking homeless figures will be the legacy of the coalition of convenience

Labour leader and housing spokesperson Ivana Bacik has condemned Government’s failure to protect people from entering homelessness.

“A 2.1% increase in homelessness month on month is horrific. This data relates to while the eviction ban was in place, so I truly shudder to think what we are facing into in the months ahead. I must be categorical – homelessness is not normal. The 11,988 people, 3,472 of whom are children, deserve a lot better than the half-hearted, cobbled together approach of this coalition of convenience.

“In May, we will celebrate workers, their progress, their freedom and their future. The housing crisis is a workers’ rights crisis. Everyone should expect a roof over their head. Instead, this Government continues to prioritise incentives for developers rather than scaling up the supply of social and affordable homes.

“Government are totally detached from reality. Each number represents a life, a child living in uncertainty, parents trying to keep the best side out and single people living in fear. These figures don’t even capture those living in hidden homelessness. It is a national disgrace.

“Having one family in homelessness is one family too many. We are deeply conscious that the emergency accommodation for people is often inappropriate, particularly for children.

“As well as the fatal error to lift the eviction ban, we know that many people who own their home are now at real risk of being unable to pay their mortgages with skyrocketing interest rates in a labour market where wages simply have not kept pace.

“The housing mini-budget announced this week is just another admission of failure by this Government on housing. The crisis shows no sign of abating. We urge Government to reintroduce the eviction ban to give workers, families and children the certainty that if nothing else, they can have a safe and secure to rest their head at night.”