The other waiting list crisis

When waiting lists are discussed and shouted about in Northern Ireland, we are usually talking about our disintegrating healthcare system. But there is a second waiting list crisis – that of households seeking social housing. As at March of last year, there were 44,426 applicants on the social housing waiting list. Of these, over 10,000 were regarded as homeless and more than 31,000 were in housing stress. Nor is the situation improving. There was a 20% jump in applicants for …

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It is time that we all face up to the reality of homelessness and accept that it is no longer someone else’s problem.

HOMELESSNESS: What do you see when you think of homelessness? Most of us will think of a young man sleeping rough in a city centre doorway, or someone drunk on a park bench surrounded by empty cans. Whilst this unfortunately is the reality for some, most homelessness is hidden from view, out of sight and therefore out of mind.