Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2019
46. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the housing first programme; the number of housing first tenancies; the locations it has been rolled out; his plans to extend it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44983/19]
View answerHousing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies.
The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, extends the delivery of Housing First nationally, with the introduction of targets for each local authority. The Plan includes an overall target of 663 tenancies in the period 2018-2021. The implementation of the Plan is a joint initiative of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Department of Health, the HSE and the local authorities.
In line with the National Implementation Plan, Housing First is being delivered on a regional basis by the local authorities and the HSE. During 2019, contracts for the delivery of services have been put in place or are at an advanced stage in each of the nine regions responsible for the delivery of homeless services. To date, 352 individuals have been housed under the Housing First Programme, including 100 individuals who have been housed since the publication of the National Implementation Plan. A copy of the National Implementation Plan is available on my Department's website at the following link: ttps://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/housing-first-national-implementation-plan-2018-2021.
