EDITORIAL: A competition nobody should want to win

One of the worst things about a crisis is how people turn on each other.

The housing crisis has left a lot of people in some horrible situations.

Some people are back living under their parent's roof while others don’t have a roof at all. Some people are giving up beloved pets, moving abroad away from family and others are putting their lives on hold.

This is a crisis that affects every age gender and class. While it is natural for scarce resources to breed competition and resentment it is entirely unhelpful.

A councillor at Thurles Municipal District Council asked why Approved Housing Body clients get approved for houses over people on the housing list for the past ten years.

Lots of people would say that it is a good question. And there should be a transparent process in place to ensure fairness.

But one could also argue that it's the wrong question because it focuses on the wrong thing. There shouldn’t be anyone on a housing waiting list for ten years.

Scratch that, there shouldn't be a housing list at all.

We live in a relatively wealthy country. Resources should not be scarce unless they are just poorly managed. Vulnerable people are not getting anything over you; it’s not a competition. And if it were, it’s not one you should want to win.

At council meetings, Approved Housing Bodies and Housing First Clients get a lot of flak. And yes sometimes vulnerability brings challenges and trouble.

But many of those who live in AHB accommodation are victims of other crises like mental health, drug addiction, and the foster care system.

There is hardly a social system in Ireland not on its knees. Some people get shunted from one crisis to another.

But they are not the ones making those decisions. They likely have very little power; just like you.

So, when you have the opportunity to change things be that voting, activism or volunteer work, choose wisely.

Punch up not down and don’t let your anger get in the way of the country you want to live in.