Homeless Crisis Requires Same Emergency Response Post- Storm Emma

He said, “Foremost, I must commend the Trojan work carried out by agencies and volunteer led organisations over the past week, both in proactively planning for this storm and also providing to support to those in homelessness during the course of the storm itself.

“These services have proved integral to ensuring that there was no loss of life during the freeze.

“It is likely that during this period, services have had an opportunity to connect with people in homelessness or who are forced to live on the streets and can now work closely with them to be housed or placed in emergency temporary accommodation.

“I call on Government to ensure that all agencies working with people living in homelessness, are provided with the resources and personnel necessary to continue to provide the emergency accommodation

“When this storm passes over and families begin the process of cleaning up floods and debris, the fact remains that there are people on our streets with no safe or comfortable place to live.

“If the Government is serious about this problem then it must continue to respond to it as it is; an emergency,” concluded Deputy Cowen.