'It was crazy': Family left homeless after losing tenancy
When Aisling Dekker's HAP tenancy fell through, she found herself entering homeless accommodation with her two children.
Families are facing an unprecedented surge in homelessness, as highlighted by Depaul, a homeless charity. Aisling Dekker, a mother of two, was recently left without a home when her HAP tenancy fell through. She and her children were forced to relocate to a hostel miles away from Dublin city, where they had to drive two hours each morning for their children to attend school.
The hostel provided no kitchen facilities, forcing the family to share one bed in a single room. Depaul's 2025 Impact Report warns that urgent investment in homelessness prevention, permanent housing, and mental health and addiction services is necessary. When the Dekkers were moved to Depaul's Rendu apartments, social workers helped them access their own apartment, cooking facilities, and comprehensive support.
The children, who had previously struggled with homelessness, are now settled and express gratitude for the newfound stability. Ms. Dekker commends her children's resilience and credits Depaul for offering her family a fresh start. The charity currently has nine families on a waiting list for its Rendu apartments, with no sign of referrals slowing down.
Despite the ongoing housing crisis and cost-of-living crisis, Depaul urges the government to increase investment in social and affordable housing, provide a homelessness prevention framework, and enhance mental health and addiction services in the 2027 budget.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
