Travellers can face discrimination on homeless accommodation policies - Councillor

As Meath County Council adopted its Traveller Accommodation Programme for 2025 to 2029, a councillor claimed its homeless accommodation policies were discriminatory to Travellers.

Councillors voted on Monday to adopt the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2025 to 2029,which outlines the accommodation needed and projected delivery over the five year period.

Cllr Alan Lawes noted that the Programme document "talks about treating everyone equally, but some of the council's policies discriminated against travellers.

"The council doesn't take into account the fact that many Travellers and other struggle with illiteracy. It doesn't take into account that they will struggle to fill in the housing application form which has to be completed in order to get emergency homeless accommodation - that is not treating people equally. People who struggle with literacy are not given any leeway," he said.

Cllr Lawes also said "local connection" was a real issue when it came to people accessing homeless services.

"The councils rules on local connection discriminate against Travellers. Many Travellers still travel. They can request a postal address at the Post Office in Navan or elsewhere in Meath.

"This is accepted as an address by everyone except Meath County Council who wont recognise it and this excludes people from accessing Housing Assistance Payments (HAP).

According to the Programme, "Meath County Council recognises that Travellers are a distinct ethnic minority group, with a long history and specific cultural characteristics which are associated with a tradition of nomadism. Meath County Council endeavours to provide accommodation and associated accommodation supports to the indigenous Travelling Community, having regard to this."

"Travellers, who present as homeless, will be afforded the supports of Meath County Council’s Homeless Service, within the strategic context of the Mid East Region Homeless Action Plan."

A survey of Traveller families living in the County was carried out between May - June 2024. As many Travellers as possible were surveyed in order to determine preference for accommodation requirements. A range of accommodation options were offered, including standard housing, group housing, halting site, private rented accommodation and transient sites.

Projected in the Programme is a need for 42 local authority houses over the five year period with the council expected to deliver 45. Five group housing schemes will be required and three of 10 units each will be delivered. It has been identified that two additional haling bays are needed and there are plans to deliver 10. Three housing first tenancies will be needed and delivered while 15 adaptation works will be required and carried out.

It was identified that six HAP tenancies would need to be provided and the council has plans for up to 30.