Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre is supporting the National Housing Protest organised by CATU, the Community Action Tenants’ Union, on Saturday 5th July at 1pm, at the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin. CATU has organised the protest to put pressure on the Government to deliver on key commitments to build more public homes, end homelessness, and support communities.
“Pavee Point echoes CATU Ireland’s position that the continuation of the housing crisis is not a failure of resources but rather a failure of political will and failure of Government policy.” said Martin Collins, Co-Director of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre (Pavee Point).
A number of national and international reports have highlighted Ireland’s successive failures to deal with the growing housing and homeless crisis, with Traveller, Roma and other marginalised groups disproportionately impacted. Many Traveller families across the country are living in unsafe, uninhabitable and appalling conditions or forced to live at the roadside due to poor and inadequate policy implementation. Equally, Travellers and Roma are further marginalised from the private rented sector due to racism and discrimination. Pavee Point is encouraging Travellers and Roma, as well as all marginalised groups, to support the protest, stand in solidarity and demand that this Government delivers on its key commitment to ensuring that all families in Ireland, including Travellers and Roma, have a place to call home; one that is safe and affordable.
Travellers and Roma continue to be significantly overrepresented in homeless statistics, with 39% of Travellers experiencing housing exclusion under the European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS). Despite a legal obligation under the 1998 Traveller Accommodation Act, as well as under European frameworks, Local Authorities have consistently failed to meet their duty to provide adequate, safe, and culturally appropriate accommodation for Travellers.
In a recent submission to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Pavee Point highlights long-standing failures to address the housing and accommodation needs of Travellers and Roma in Ireland.
The submission called for the new National Housing Strategy 2025–2030 to name Travellers and Roma as a priority group and to implement existing policy on housing and accommodation, allocate dedicated resources and include strong accountability mechanisms.
Key concerns raised in the submission include:
- Persistent underspend of allocated budgets and failure to provide new Traveller-specific accommodation
- Failure to gather accurate data on the number of Travellers, Roma and ethnic minorities experiencing homelessness
- Discrimination and exclusion in local authority housing systems.
- Continued failure to implement recommendations from the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review.
- Lack of meaningful participation by Travellers and Roma in decisions affecting them
Pavee Point is particularly concerned about the discriminatory nature of proposed amendments to the Housing Act, which would undoubtedly have a disproportionate impact on the Roma community, as well as other marginalised groups. This includes requiring habitual residency as a condition for access to emergency accommodation and housing supports. Many Roma already struggle to meet the Habitual Residence Condition, excluding them from accessing basic social welfare payments and child benefit, due to discrimination, low literacy, and limited access to documentation proving rent or employment status. There is concern that the proposed changes could exacerbate homelessness and further marginalise Roma families and children by restricting local authorities’ ability to provide emergency shelter or social housing.
Pavee Point stands in solidarity with all of those who are living in insecure accommodation or are homeless and calls on the government to deliver on its policy commitments to address both general housing inequalities and the specific accommodation needs of Travellers and Roma. This includes tackling racism in the housing system, ensuring culturally appropriate accommodation, and strengthening accountability for implementation.
Pavee Point encourages all Traveller organisations, groups working with Roma and other community organisations to attend the protest on Saturday 5th July, and to amplify the voices of those whose basic human right to housing is being denied.
Facts on Housing inequalities experienced by Traveller and Roma Communities:
- 20871 Units of Traveller accommodation were needed, 634 were provided.
- There are approximately 12,360 Traveller families living across the country. 68% accessing accommodation through local authorities for accommodation; 12% in private rented accommodation; 7% own their accommodation and 12.5% are reported as homeless; either living on the side of the road or doubling/trebling up on already overcrowded sites. Research suggests that these figures are a conservative estimate, with 39% of Travellers meeting the European definition of homelessness.
- A large number of Travellers experience ‘hidden homelessness’ in overcrowded living conditions. This is compared to 6% of the general population. Factors include the impacts of racism and discrimination, site evictions, lack of culturally appropriate accommodation and lack of accommodation for larger family sizes as some of the reasons.
- The overwhelming majority of landlords (82%) would not rent to Travellers.
- The Fundamental Rights Agency found that Irish Travellers had one of the highest rates of reported discrimination (73%) when trying to rent or buy housing over the previous 5 years . Travellers are ten times more likely to report discrimination in accessing housing, than the general population, even after education and employment status are held constant
- 24% of Roma report living in homes with 8 or more people.
- Almost 45% live in overcrowded homes missing basic services like running water, electricity or gas and 46% report being homeless at some stage in their lives.
- Many report rat infestations, damp conditions and sewerage issues.
- 2% of households report having no kitchen and 13% report having no fridge.
- A significant proposition reside in abandoned houses, factories, emergency accommodation or are sleeping rough.
- Nearly 45% reported not having enough beds, leading to multi-generational overcrowding or sharing beds.
- 93% experienced discrimination when trying to secure accommodation.
- The Habitual Residence Condition and lack of PPS numbers prevent Roma from accessing state housing supports (e.g. rent supplement and homeless services).
- 70% of incoming calls received by the National Roma Infoline in 2024 were from or on behalf of Roma who were homeless.
- In May 2022, it was estimated that 75% of the Roma population in Tipperary are homeless and/ or living in insecure housing with a risk of homelessness.
- 38% of Roma families are paying rent to landlords in cash without receiving receipts or being provided with a rent book/lease/ rent agreement.
Sources:
Pavee Point Submission on Housing Strategy 2025- 2030
The National Roma Needs Assessment
For further information, contact:
Martin Collins – Pavee Point Co-Director
Lynsey Kavanagh -Pavee Point Co-Director