According to the Mercy Law Resource Centre, some local authorities are denying access to families and people in urgent need of emergency homeless housing, which is concealing the true scope of homelessness, reports RTE.
Its most recent annual report claims that certain local governments are denying individuals access to emergency housing, which forces them to couch surf, live in secret homeless shelters, or, for others, sleep on the streets.
Some agencies disregarded fundamental legal obligations, such failing to provide written justification for a 2023 decision.
Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) is a registered charity and independent legal centre, reports RTE.
Those who are homeless or at danger of homelessness can receive free legal advice and representation from a team of three solicitors.
With 2,740 calls received and 758 new requests for legal aid, it saw a 30% rise in calls from persons in need of assistance in 2023.
Frontline staff discovered “inconsistency” in the way laws were enforced, and occasionally they seemed to be “ignored,” reports RTE.
Last year, the centre received 157% more enquiries about emergency accommodations.
According to the study, there have been “alarming reports” of families who are homeless or at risk of becoming so. Interestingly, domestic violence was a factor in more than half of these instances.
Numerous incidents involving circumstances in emergency housing were also connected to people who had addictions, disabilities, or health problems, highlighting how inadequate emergency housing is for those with particular needs, reports RTE.
According to MLRC Solicitor Adam Boyle, many of its clients are denied emergency housing even though they match the requirements, sometimes without providing a good explanation.
“The inconsistent application of rules leaves already vulnerable individuals at greater risk of rough sleeping or precarious living situations. People should not need to engage solicitors in order to access emergency homeless accommodation,” he said, reports RTE.
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