Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 January 2022
126. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress in relation to expanding the Housing First approach to supporting persons experiencing homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3194/22]
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 first National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which put the programme on a national footing, was designed to provide this response, by delivering permanent housing solutions and associated supports for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. It extended the delivery of Housing First nationally and included an overall target of 663 tenancies for the period 2018-2021.
Data on the number of Housing First tenancies created are published every three months as part of my Department's Homeless Quarterly Progress Reports. The most recent report from the end of September 2021 shows that a total of 695 tenancies were created since the launch of the first National Implementation Plan in 2018, exceeding the targets set.
Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland committed to the further expansion of Housing First. A new National Implementation Plan, which provides for a further 1,319 tenancies covering the period 2022-2026, was published in December 2021. The implementation of the Plan is a joint initiative of my Department, the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE), the criminal justice sector (the Probation Service and the Irish Prison Service) and Local Authorities, in conjunction with NGO partners. Each partner is committing the necessary resources and supports to implement the programme.
A new National Directorate for the Housing First programme is being put in place and will be based in The Housing Agency. It will manage programme delivery. Governance and oversight is effected through a National Implementation Group which consists of representatives from the partners to the programme.
