Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
339. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons experiencing homelessness who were housed in permanent accommodation in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4109/21]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis.
Quarterly performance reports are submitted to my Department which provide information on the numbers of adults exiting homelessness to a tenancy. My Department publishes a Homeless Quarterly Progress Report, which includes details of exits from homelessness each quarter. The most recent Progress Report for Quarter 3 2020 shows that a total of 4,401 adults exited homelessness to a tenancy in the first nine months of the year. This report is published on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1a64d-homeless-quarterly-report-for-quarter-3-and-monthly-homeless-report-for-september-2020/.
The report for Quarter 4 2020 is due to be published shortly, and this will represent the final report in respect of 2020.
Increasing the supply of housing, particularly new build social and affordable homes, is a priority for me and for this Government. The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. In Budget 2021, we backed this objective with funding of €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. The available funding will deliver 12,750 new social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build, with an overall target of 9,500 new homes. The increased targets will see increased local authority build on local authority land.
