The Big Interview

‘It’s time we stop viewing social housing as a burden on society’ – David Carroll

Depaul chief executive David Carroll believes ending homelessness is an achievable goal, but not under the government’s current housing plan or with society’s current perceptions of social housing

David Carroll, Depaul chief executive: ‘I do worry that people may become anaesthetised to the awful situations that are out there, but we cannot let that happen.’ Picture: Bryan Meade

In early December, David Carroll sat in the lobby of a Depaul centre in Longford. In the space of an hour, three people came through looking for accommodation – a 19-year-old man, a woman fleeing domestic violence and a man who has been homeless for 15 years with entrenched alcohol difficulties.

“For me to be able to see that within a one-hour period demonstrates the range of complexities that we deal with, and the people ...