A KERRY nun who has dedicated her life to helping the homeless has voiced concerns about the decision of the Home Sweet Home organisation to occupy Apollo House in Dublin to provide shelter for those without a place to sleep.
Focus Ireland founder Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said while the group provided another welcome voice and helped create a greater debate about the homelessness crisis, she had concerns about taking over a building illegally.
“Their aim to end the housing crisis is laudable because it is a scandal but I would prefer to see them doing it within the law,” the Lispole born charity champion told Ray D’Arcy on RTÉ Radio.
But she acknowledged that it is important to her more voices speaking out and carrying on the debate about the housing crisis which has resulted in an estimated 6,000 people ending up homeless, including over 2,000 children.
Sr Stan said when she started Focus Ireland in 1985 the problem could have been sorted out within three to five years if the government built the houses required but it didn’t happen.
“One third of the people that are now homeless are children. That’s scary. The situation is dire. It is really complex,” she told the radio show host.
She said people were becoming homeless every day for economic reasons, having being evicted for not meeting their mortgage payments or paying their rent.
“We have a homeless crisis because we have a housing crisis,” said Sr Stan, adding that she hoped the government keeps its promise to deliver housing for 47,000 people by 2021.
Through Focus Ireland’s Housing First initiative, 70 rough sleepers have been provided with an accommodation base over the past 18 months and the required support services are being built around them.
The Kerry nun has received numerous awards for her outstanding work for the marginalised in society, including the Kerry Person of the Year award in 1981, the University of New York special honour for commitment to the disadvantaged in Ireland, the Humanitarian of the Year and, in 2014, she was recognised as Ireland’s Greatest Woman in a public vote.
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