Housing First and rough sleeping
Deputy McDonald pressed the Government on its homelessness commitments, citing a rise in rough sleeping, the limited rollout of Housing First, and the death of a man who had been on a priority list. The Minister said work was under way on emergency accommodation, Housing First coordination and broader housing measures, but she remained dissatisfied.
In the programme for Government, a whole chapter is dedicated to ending the housing shortage and homelessness. It speaks of ending the need for rough sleeping by providing a high level of funding for homeless services and supporting emergency beds and accommodation options. This month, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive quarterly rough sleepers count revealed a 33% increase in the number of people forced to sleep on the streets in November. The only real accommodation solution for rough sleepers with complex needs is the Housing First programme. To date, only 180 Housing First tenancies have been created by the Government. This is well short of targets for 2017.
Comment on this
I just wanted to note that the man who was found dead in a tent in Ranelagh this week was on the priority list for a Housing First home. I say that to underscore the importance of this issue and to offer our sympathies for the loss of that man and others. I want to know at this stage what the Government will do to make good this commitment? I do not want a list of statistical-----
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-----but such is the tragedy of it. We are in an emergency situation. Will the Government accept this and do something about it?
Comment on this
The Deputy may not want a list, but well over 80 items are being pursued vigorously to try to address this issue. Among these is planned additional extra emergency accommodation before Christmas that will be available to ensure no one has to be on the streets over that period. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, the Housing First initiative is being rolled out and a new co-ordination group is being put in place to ensure that we effectively use the resources available. The Minister has pointed out his plans, for example, to double next year the number of social houses being built. Every action is on a very rapid ramp-up by the Government. No money has been spared in backing these proposals to make them a reality on the streets.