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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities.
While responsibility for the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis with a lead authority in place for each region. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services and funding required in each region are a matter for individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum. It is a matter for the Management Group to bring forward proposals to my Department that meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area and the funding requirements will be considered in this context.
Local authorities and their service delivery partners work closely with all households in emergency accommodation to support them to secure an exit to a tenancy. If a household meets the eligibility and need criteria for social housing supports, it qualifies for the suite of social housing supports, including Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), and is placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme.
Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First has been a key element of Government homelessness policy.
Housing First service providers assess rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation for suitability for Housing First and if they meet the criteria they are supported to access Housing First units. These criteria are further outlined in the Housing First Manual for Ireland, which is available at the following link: www.housingagency.ie/sites/default/files/A_HOUSING_FIRST_MANUAL_IRELAND.pdf
