Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 July 2019
356. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on a report commissioned by Dublin City Council and carried out by persons (details supplied) which show the negative impacts of homelessness on children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28341/19]
View answerI understand that the report referred to by the Deputy refers to the experiences of homeless families in hotels.
The Government is committed to minimising the use of hotels as emergency accommodation. In this regard, my Department is working with the local authorities to support the introduction of family hubs. Family hubs provide more appropriate emergency accommodation for families, with better facilities for cooking, laundry and recreation. There are currently 27 family Hubs in operation with capacity to cater for approximately 660 families. Further hubs will be developed over the course of the rest of 2019.
The Government has also increased the funding available to local authorities to deliver homeless services to €146m in 2019, an increase of over 25% on the 2018 budget allocation. Families experiencing homelessness are supported by the local authorities and their service delivery partners to identify and secure an independent tenancy. In 2018, 5,135 adults exited homelessness into an independent tenancy. The Government is committed to securing housing solutions for all of the households currently experiencing homelessness.
