My 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.
My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The most recently published data is in respect of July 2021. There were 6,003 adults and 2,129 dependants under the age of 18 years in emergency accommodation during the July count week. The Reports for each month are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/.
Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. ‘Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland’, the Government’s strategic housing plan to 2030, sets out details on how the Government will approach this challenge, and includes a commitment to develop a National Youth Homelessness Strategy by the first quarter of 2022. Preparing this strategy will involve co-operation and co-ordination between myself and my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Key operational elements in the provision of supports to young people experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, fall within the responsibility of a range of agencies and stakeholder bodies, and it will be important that their views can form part of the process in developing the Strategy.
Upon my appointment as Minister, I established a High Level Homelessness Taskforce, to provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working to address homelessness. The Taskforce is also inputting on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in Housing for All. The membership of the Taskforce consists of the Chief Executives of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Crosscare, Depaul, Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin Simon Community and Threshold. Youth Homelessness is a core concern of the Taskforce and has been discussed at Taskforce meetings, most recently on 26 July, and 1 September, 2021.
The Youth Homelessness Strategy is being informed by the understanding that supporting young people at risk of becoming homeless through strategic interventions can help avoid a cycle of longer-term homelessness.
