Workers Party members have joined with hundreds of community workers, volunteers and concerned citizens to highlight the recent deaths of homeless people and the crisis in housing provision.

The march to Belfast City Hall was organised in response to the deaths of 14 homeless people in recent months.

The Facts & Figures

Fourteen homeless people died on our streets or hostels in the past few months.

There are currently 16,000 people in Northern Ireland officially classed as homeless.

36% of those are single men and 29% are families

There are more than 44,000 people on the Housing Executives waiting lists

In 2005 there were more than 15,000 new homes started in Northern Ireland.

Last year that figure was 7,500—a 50% decrease

 Of the total number of homes built last year only 650 were public housing

We are in a housing crisis that is taking the lives of, mostly, young homeless people and is impacting on the quality of life, the mental well-being and the opportunities for thousands of individuals and families.

Not only are we not building sufficient and affordable public housing, but the fundamental and basic human right to a roof over our heads is classed as a Workers Party members have joined with hundreds of community workers, volunteers and concerned citizens to highlight the recent deaths of homeless people and the crisis in housing provision.

Not only are we not building sufficient and affordable public housing, but the fundamental and basic human right to a roof over our heads is classed as a commodity to be profited from – the housing ‘market’.

Well intentioned as they may be, and vitally necessary as they are, short term measures and one-off initiatives are neither capable of addressing nor resolving these problems.

Only a state-controlled house building programme can begin to alleviate the current distress and dangers and eventually lead to a society in which every citizen can be guaranteed the security and dignity of a home.