Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Home Sweet Home - Ending Homelessness in Ireland





Interesting to see how this one goes. There are houses boarded up all over the country and left that way until the grass grows in the door. Many of them could have or should have been occupied the day the previous tenants moved out, but for whatever reason the shutters go up. Indeed in some cases they are "restored"  to something of their former glory, a state of repairs the previous tenants found unacceptable and spent no small amount bringing them to more comfortable surrounds. But then out goes the grass, the doors and the floors and anything that passes for indulgence and anyway that's best left to the next world. Which is where I'm sure some of the authoritarians wish they'd bugger off to anyway. Though to be fair some of the properties are left in a woe full condition. That said it is simply not acceptable to have "Tent Cities" in one of the richest countries in the world and if it comes to that it is not acceptable to have the health service we have either. Either of them could be solved by the stroke of a pen, but then the markets the markets, which is what they were shouting about in '47. I heard it on the news today that the Apollo building is not suitable for accommodation and not safe but I'd say it's a damn sight safer than sleeping on the street and a damn sight warmer too. Or should that be "site". I leave it to you. Have a Happy Christmas. 

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