Seán Sherlock
Ceist:611. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on working towards eradicating homelessness by 2030 under Housing for All. [43324/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 8 September 2022
Ceisteanna (611, 612, 613, 614)
Seán Sherlock
Ceist:612. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on increasing housing first targets to 1,200 tenancies over five years for homeless persons under Housing for All. [43325/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSeán Sherlock
Ceist:613. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on establishing a new national homeless action committee under Housing for All. [43326/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSeán Sherlock
Ceist:614. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on expanding street outreach teams for rough sleepers nationwide under Housing for All. [43327/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 611, 612, 613 and 614 together.
As a signatory of the Lisbon Declaration on the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness, Ireland has committed, along with other member states, to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. This will be done through a number of actions including:
- Increasing the supply of housing. 300,000 homes will be delivered between now and the end of 2030 including 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable homes and 18,000 cost rental homes
- Increasing the number of ‘Housing First’ tenancies
- Establishment of new National Homeless Action Committee
- Developing a Youth Homelessness Strategy
- Expanding outreach services
- Providing capital funding for housing for specific vulnerable cohorts that are eligible for Capital Assistance Scheme funding.
Work on these actions is well underway.
The National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC) was established in Q4 2021 and the inaugural meeting took place on 20 December 2021. Membership of the Committee comprises key Government Departments, state bodies and organisations involved in tackling homelessness. I chair the Committee which meets on a quarterly basis.
The overarching objective of NHAC is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to address homelessness. Beyond this, the Committee also has a role in addressing emerging homeless-related issues and in developing further responses. Initial priorities for the Committee are Homelessness Prevention and the development of a Youth Homelessness Strategy. The Youth Homelessness Strategy is currently in the final stages of development and will be published in Q4 of this year.
Housing for All also commits to publishing a new Housing First National Implementation Plan and targeting 1,200 new Housing First tenancies from 2022 to 2026. Housing 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 new National Implementation Plan, which provides for a further 1,319 tenancies covering the period 2022-2026, was published in December 2021. The new Plan outlines the targets for each region and in each year.
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 has been put in place, 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.
Crucial to the success of Housing First and the achievement of the targets set out in the National Implementation Plan is ensuring that the most vulnerable and most entrenched homeless individuals receive the support and engagement required. Central to this is the provision of an effective and assertive outreach service that ensures that people without shelter are linked in with appropriate housing and health services and supports and, where appropriate, put on the Housing First pathway.
In the Dublin region, an outreach and intensive engagement service is provided by Dublin Simon Community in partnership with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. This service engages with adults who experience rough sleeping, supports them into temporary homeless accommodation, and makes appropriate referrals to permanent housing options, especially Housing First.
To aid in the further expansion of the Housing First approach, and in line with commitments made in Housing for All, it is planned to extend outreach and intensive engagement services to other key urban areas outside Dublin, ensuring that those most in need of the intense supports provided by Housing First will be able to avail of them.
My Department does not fund any homeless services directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the costs of homeless accommodation and related services. The Department has invited regional authorities to submit proposals for outreach services for inclusion in their annual expenditure programmes and a number of Outreach services and Housing First projects are in place for 2022 and further proposals will be sought for 2023. The Housing Agency has also completed and published a good practice guide for Assertive Street Outreach for local authorities.
Financial reports from each of the regional fora, setting out total expenditure on homeless services including on outreach services and housing first services are published on my Department’s website at the following link; www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
Question No. 612 answered with Question No. 611.
Question No. 613 answered with Question No. 611.
Question No. 614 answered with Question No. 611.