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ON SATURDAY APRIL 7 an estimated 10,000 people took to the streets of Dublin to protest against a worsening housing crisis.
Those who attended had been stirred into action by recent harrowing statistics. During February 2018 alone, 488 children had become homeless. The overall number of people without a home has risen to an astounding total of 10,000.
These figures don’t account for the thousands living in emergency accommodation. Nor do they include the 300,000 currently awaiting social housing. As People Before Profit Councillor Tina McVeigh said to crowds gathered at Custom House Quay at the weekend, this disaster has come about from “policies that have prioritised the wealth of the few over the homes of the many”.
Finland’s crisis
Back in the 80s, Finland was facing a housing crisis of its own. There were up to 18,000 people sleeping on the street every night, and an urgent need for a drastic solution. In 1987, the Finnish government drafted a new action plan called Housing First.
Under this scheme, NGOs across the country teamed up with city councils to work on the issue. Housing was to be regarded as a fundamental human right, just as Dublin crowds chanted for on Saturday. In order to meet quotas, each Finnish city was to use “all possible channels”. Hostels, shelters and social housing across the country were converted into supported housing units, and new properties were built.
Once a Finnish person became homeless, they were given one of these flats immediately, a foundation upon which to rebuild their lives. Most places would offer on-site assistance too, to help those recovering from addiction and mental health issues.
A runaway success
These measures were funded by the government. Money was diverted that had previously been reserved for municipalities, cities and NGOs working in the area. Procedures were introduced with little opposition, as those initially wary changed their minds after favourable international media coverage.
Homelessness in Finland has decreased every year since 1987, truly a runaway success. The scheme now owns about 6,000 properties across the country. Although 6,650 Finnish people remained homeless in 2016, 80% lived with friends or family, and 10% were in hostels or institutions. Only one homeless shelter remains, as the rest are no longer necessary.
Housing First completely resolved the Finnish housing crisis, and nowadays there isn’t a single rough sleeper on Helsinki streets. But how was it implemented in Finland with such success, while the Irish equivalent failed to take off? Particularly since both countries and capitals have similar populations.
Politicians’ attitudes
The answer lies in our politicians’ attitudes toward homelessness. Radical change is not possible unless there is strong political will and active participation from the State. Our lack of conviction is exemplified by the neglect that The Irish Housing First scheme has faced. The programme’s 150 properties were supposed to be doubled last year, a promise that was never met.
On the other hand, Finland’s success lay in their ability to adopt social housing, something we have a dire shortage of here. For housing to become a human right, the government must replicate the necessary conditions for a Finnish style turnaround. Social housing targets need to start being met (and exceeded) with urgency.
There is a solution, but only if only those in power choose to see it. As Ballymun rapper ‘Nugget’ sang while performing to protestors on Saturday, “One in five TDs are landlords, remember this. Why would they bring in legislation when they benefit?”
Jack Maguire is a recent English Studies graduate, who has since written for the Jobbio blog and Hot Press.
RTÉ has more “celebrity presenters “ ( loosely speaking) than good program content .TG4 do a much better job for a fraction of the price . Why are we funding the likes of Duffy and tubs with taxpayers money .. our money .
Nobody in their right mind would think these ego driven individuals deserve to be paid 10 times more than a nurse etc
A balanced and informative article with no discernible nudging in any direction! Can’t say the same for most articles on here. Thanks Mr. Kinsella. A breath of fresh air.
@Sean: It’s telling us what we already know. Carl will no doubt find his feet and a distinctive voice in this series, but I think he needs to add a wee bit more value.
@Sean: You are joking. (The title is heavily ironic, from a journalist). You know it. I know it.
I’m convincedc that he fabric of space ripped in half the first time cern turned on the large hydron collider and ever since we’ve diverged off into some other reality running parallel to the one we were originally in. This one is starting to increasingly feel like it’s someone elses nightmare. How do we wake ul from it?
@Zim Zimma: You think the University of Limerick is particularly badly affected?
The cardboard cut-out of O’Dalaigh sounds sensible.
Maybe RTE should have used one of Gaybo after he retired!
Reeling in the Years. Steely Dan. Cool band. Real musicians, with strange, twisted (poetic, philosophical?) lyrics.
“Your everlasting summer and you can see it fading fast
So you grab a piece of something that you think is gonna last.”
(Well, you wouldn’t even know a diamond if you held it in your hand
the things you think are precious I can’t understand.)
very topical. reminds me of Vladamir Putain, perhaps. (really has aged in the last short while. You can see it in his face, this last 6 months. Watch his face twitching when speaking to the camera. He knows he is lying, that his army is falling apart, and that he will be killed by one of his buddies, if his secret police don’g get him first. His chef, wotsisname for example, and the rest of his psychopath gang, kadyrov the freak, shuigin, etcetera, will cut him up, the moment he turns his back. He knows it. So he threatens the world with nuclear weapons. Threatens the extinction of life.
Another good tune is Black Friday. Very topical.
The lyrics about a grifter, a rip off merchant from inner city USA, (who plans to split to Australia before the law catches up with him), (He will live a life of luxury, with nothing to do but feed the kangaroos.). He hasn’t achieved it yet. You imagine he might probably end up in jail. With all his buddies.
(“When Black Friday comes, I’m gonna stake my claim, I’ll guess I’ll change my name.”) Next year we are having a global famine. with Ukraine water supply shut off. Remember that Vladimir Putin caused this.
(before you start speaking about migrants. Putain, Puto, or whatever you call him, will be responsible for that, the global famine, more than any other ‘human’ on this planet )
There are some real monsters in this world, who are born without conscience, without human feeling. They lie, manipulate and deceive. There are psychopaths who would easily kill you if you turn your back, if they get the idea.
Play station joy stick for controls enough said . RIP
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