Richard Boyd Barrett: Demands Action on Family Facing Homelessness
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke about a family facing imminent eviction and homelessness, urging the government to prevent their placement in emergency hostel accommodation. He pressed the minister to back amendments that would freeze evictions into homelessness on an emergency basis or to set out an immediate alternative policy to protect the family.
Case described
He detailed a couple and their children, including a daughter and son with special needs, who are terrified about entering emergency accommodation. He expressed concern for the mother's mental health after discussing how she would cope and warned that hostel placement would be damaging for the children.
Critique of government response
He told the minister it was "not good enough" to refer the family to local authority emergency accommodation and challenged the assurances that policies are being developed to prevent homelessness. He criticised the prospect of telling constituents there is nothing that can be done and used a pointed remark about waiting for investors in New York to reduce rents.
Proposed amendment
He argued the best immediate measure is the amendment being proposed to prevent eviction into homelessness even on an emergency basis - effectively freezing that possibility until the broader problem is resolved. He emphasised that the situation is not the family's fault and called for protection while the systemic issue is addressed.
Challenge to the minister
He repeatedly asked the minister to give a concrete alternative or to explain what the government is doing now to stop this family and others from becoming homeless. He demanded the minister "say something to the family" and pressed for action rather than deferral.
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Minister, look, we disagree. You're absolutely right. Nobody has a monopoly on compassion. But I honestly believe you have an obligation as the government, and for that matter I as a representative, to say something to the family that I'm talking about. And you have a responsibility for all the families to come in to you. And it's just not good enough. It is not good enough, Minister, to say, to engage with your local authority about emergency accommodation. Or do you think it is? Because I certainly don't. And I know that the couple I'm describing, I've described their situation, and I could describe, you know, another endless numbers that are on my books at the moment, that are coming in week out, who are absolutely terrified in that situation, and their children. I mean, would you allow your children to be put into a situation that would damage them? I don't think, I think you would do anything. I mean, in fact, I don't want to personalise this, because that's wrong too, right? But I think any parent would do absolutely anything to prevent their child being put in that sort of situation. And we should not be in a situation where we have to turn around and say, sorry, there's nothing I can do. Your daughter and your son with special needs who are vulnerable are just going to have to suck it up, as are you, and go in there to that hostel, even though that is going to be really bad for them. And I would seriously worry about the mental health, you know, of the mother in particular, after the engagement I had with her about how she's going to be able to cope. Right? So it's just not good enough to say that. And I hear from the minister, and I've heard from the successive ministers, that the government are developing policies to prevent people going into homelessness. And I ask, if you won't do what's in this amendment, will you please tell me what you're doing to prevent this family going into homelessness and other families? Tell me. Is there another answer that I'm missing? Is there something that I haven't heard? Is there some policy that you're developing that is going to prevent this situation where they have to end up in emergency accommodation next week? Because if you can't give that alternative suggestion, then the best one going is the one that's being proposed in these amendments, which is, even on an emergency basis, say, sorry, you're not going to be allowed to evict these people into homelessness. Sorry. We're freezing that possibility until we sort out this mess. Which certainly isn't their fault. Certainly not this family's, these kids' fault. Whatever differences we have on policy and all the rest of it, we are not going to put you into a worse position, into an unacceptable position, until we've actually managed to sort out the bigger problem. That's what we're asking, Minister. Now, if you can come back and tell me you've got a better answer for them, or are you just telling me, no, you have to tell your constituents, and I have to tell my constituents, and no one has to tell his, and Conor and Rory, we just have to tell him, sorry, nothing we can do. Nothing we can do. At some point, it's going to improve. Can't tell you when exactly, but at some point, maybe it's going to improve, when the investors in New York decide to reduce rents. Thank you, Deputy Boyd.
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