Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with intensive housing and health supports. The programme is a joint initiative of my Department, the Department of Health, the HSE and local authorities, in conjunction with NGO partners.
A total of 695 tenancies have been achieved under the current National Implementation Plan which ends this year, surpassing the target of 663. Housing for All commits to an expansion by 1,200 additional tenancies over the next five years. A new National Implementation Plan is to be published before the end of 2021.
My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.
The administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis with a lead authority in place for each region. Clare County Council is included in the Mid-West region along with Limerick City and County Council, which acts as the regional lead authority.
Some €9.18m was provided in Exchequer funding to the Mid-West Region in 2020 with €7.1m in funding recouped to date in 2021, with further payments to be made. It is a matter for each housing authority to bring forward proposals to my Department for 2022 to meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area and the funding requirements will be considered in this context.
