Address
Homelessness

Introduction

Providing an urgent response to the homeless crisis, Pillar One focuses on taking immediate action to help those on the streets and those in emergency accommodation, including families in hotels.

Additional healthcare and support services will be provided to address addiction and mental health, as well as many of the other underlying issues that can trigger or prolong homelessness. A “whole of Government” approach will be taken to address this challenge, with the co-ordination of inter-agency supports for people who are currently homeless.

To address the unacceptable level of families in emergency accommodation, including hotels, this core pillar of the Action Plan will provide early solutions and an increase in the level of housing made available, including new innovative solutions such as rapid build housing and acquisition of vacant private properties by the Housing Agency.

A key objective is identifying people at risk of losing their homes and to support their efforts to remain in them, with particular emphasis on tenancy sustainment and supporting those in mortgage arrears.

Pillar Actions

2020 saw almost 5,900 exits from homelessness nationally. Over the course of the year, the number of people in emergency accommodation fell by over 1,500.  There were fewer families in emergency accommodation at the end of 2020 than at any time since March 2016 (predating the launch of Rebuilding Ireland).  

Pillar One’s key actions include early solutions to address the unacceptable level of families in emergency accommodation and the provision of housing:

• We’ll expand the Housing Assistance Payment’s (HAP) homeless tenancy scheme. Households in the Dublin Region benefited from the scheme and 2,500+ tenancies were supported under the Dublin Homeless HAP initiative in 2019.
• In 2020 the Housing First programme was expanded into all regions of the country and by the end of the year. Over the course of the year an additional 214 tenancies were created nationally.  This means that by December 2020, over 500 people with a history of rough sleeping or long-term homelessness were in their own homes with wraparound supports. 

• The Homeless HAP Place Finder service has been made available to all local authorities. More than 2,500 households in the Dublin region have been supported by the Homeless HAP Scheme in 2020.  Nationally, the corresponding figure was over 4,800 households.

• Under the Cold Weather Initiative, extra emergency beds have been introduced in the Dublin Region with a further contingency beds available to ensure that there will be sufficient beds available for all that require shelter.
• The HSE’s annual budget for homeless services will provide health, mental health and addiction supports to rough sleepers and people in emergency accommodation, who often have complex needs that must be addressed in tandem with the provision of stable housing. 
• We’ll keep people in their homes where possible, with financial and legal support for people in mortgage arrears . An Aid and Advice Scheme for people in serious mortgage arrears is in place as part of Abhaile, the National Mortgage Arrears Resolution Service. Tenancy Protection free-phone service has been extended nationwide.

Supporting Homeless Families

Rebuilding Ireland includes the objective that hotels will only be used in limited circumstances as emergency accommodation for families. It is recognised that hotel accommodation is inappropriate for accommodating homeless families for anything other than a short period of time.

To meet this objective, in addition to providing for long-term housing needs, housing authorities have been pursuing the delivery of a range of additional and enhanced family-focused facilities, or family hubs, which offer a greater degree of stability than is possible in hotels and B&B accommodation, while move-on options to long-term independent living are identified and secured.  Continued presentations of families into homelessness services mean that it is still necessary to use hotels in some cases. It is expected that the use of hotels will reduce as more family hubs are developed.

Expanded ‘Housing First’ Programme

Through ‘Housing First’ we will provide permanent, stable and supported housing to our long-term homeless individuals and thus reduce the reliance on emergency accommodation over time. As of October 2020, 459 individuals have been housed under the Housing First Programme. Housing First services have commenced in Cork, Limerick and Galway.

Housing Assistance Payment for Homeless Households (HAP)

The Homeless Pilot of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme has been operational since February 2015 and we have expanded it to increase the transition of households from emergency accommodation into private rented tenancies. As of Q2 2019, 6000+ tenancies were supported under the Dublin Homeless HAP Pilot.