A Clonmel family living in a tent is calling on the council to provide housing.
Anna and her family have been sleeping outside the local council offices as well as in other locations in the town.
She says herself, her husband, and their three sons, ranging in age from 5 months to 6 years, have also slept on sofas and in the back of vans when seeking shelter.
As well as this, both Anna and her husband suffer from “severe” mental health problems and have had their doctor write a letter to help put urgency on their search to put a roof over their heads.
Anna told Tipp FM that she has brought her situation forward on many occasions to the local authorities, only to be met with roadblocks every step of the way.
“My five-month-old son is sick all the time from this. I’ve told the council that, they just shrug their shoulders at me. I have got down on my hands and knees and I have begged, “Please, I’m not even begging for a house right now, even if it’s just any sort of accommodation, a roof over our heads.” They said, “no.” They said, “Go back to sofa surfing.” I said, “Even sofa surfing is not an option anymore.”
They’re saying, “You’ve got to show you’re helping yourself.” I said, “But I need a helping hand, basically.” I need some sort of help along the way; some people just do sometimes. They’re saying they can only give me HAP. I said, “What about emergency accommodation?” They said, “No, we don’t have emergency accommodations for the size of your family.”
