Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
789. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost to provide a home to each person on local authority homeless lists, that is, excluding use of the private rental market in 2022. [41153/21]
View answerIncreasing the supply of public, social and affordable homes is priority of this Government. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to deliver 50,000 new social homes with a focus on new build homes. This commitment was underpinned by investment of €3.3bn towards housing programmes in Budget 2021.
The focus of the Government is to reduce and prevent homelessness to the greatest extent possible with the overriding objective to support households to exit homelessness into homes through the various social housing supports available. My Department publishes detailed monthly and quarterly reports on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The monthly report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The quarterly progress report includes data on the number of exits from homelessness achieved on a quarterly basis. The monthly and quarterly progress reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/. Progress continues to be made in providing homes for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In 2020 almost 5,900 exits from homelessness to a social housing tenancy were achieved.
Social housing solutions are provided using a wide variety of funding and delivery mechanisms which vary in cost depending on numerous factors including the delivery mechanism, the size of the property and the geographical location. Accordingly, my Department does not hold the specific details requested by the Deputy.
