Presentation given by Cathal Morgan, Director of Dublin Homeless Agency, on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Ireland at a FEANTSA seminar on "The impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level", hosted by the Committee of the Regions, June 2009

1. Homelessness Budgets in a time of
Economic Crisis……
Making the best of what we have….a Dublin Perspective!
FEANSTA – Committee of the Regions Seminar
Presentation by Cathal Morgan, Director, Homeless Agency, Dublin
May 28th 2009

2. About the Dublin Homeless Agency
• Established in 2001
• Co-ordinates a Partnership Structure
• Board & Consultative Forum
• Research, policy and service development
• Training and support to services
• Administration of funding
• Monitoring and evaluation

3. DUBLIN
East coast

4. 4 Local
Authority
Areas

5. HSE & LA

6. Government
Cabinet Sub-Committee on Social Inclusion
The Cross Departmental
National Homelessness
Consultative Committee Team on Homelessness
2007
NGO Sector Statutory Sector
•Community & Irish Prison Service
Voluntary Education and Training
•Housing Associations Health Service Exec
Local Authorities
Probation and Welfare
FAS

8. Homeless Agency PartnershipVision
……….and Government Policy (The Way Home)
By 2010, long-term homelessness and the need for
people to sleep rough will be eliminated in Dublin.
The risk of a person or family becoming homeless
will be minimal due to effective preventative
policies and services.
Where it does occur, homelessness will be short-
term and all people who are homeless will be
assisted into appropriate housing and the
realisation of their full potential and rights.

9. 3 Strategic Aims
3 strategic aims will guide the direction of the
action plan:
• Prevent people from becoming homeless
• Provide effective services in each local area to
address the accommodation, housing and health
needs of people in that area
• Provide long-term housing, with appropriate
supports as required for people who are homeless

10. 2007…at a Crossroads…………
Are we ‘Managing’ or ‘Ending’?
3 Critical Priorities for 2008 were agreed by the
Homeless Agency Board after a review of
progress made in 2007:
• Measure and evidence the extent of
homelessness (counted in)
• Review current expenditure (VfM)
• Develop and agree a model of service
delivery (evaluation of services)

11. Extent of the experience of Homelessness
2144 households were in homeless
services during the week of the
Counted In survey in March 2008.
…resident in homeless accommodation, resident in
long-term supported accommodation or roofless
…equivalent figure from 2005 is 2066 households
… 1% decrease in homeless households relative to
Dublin’s 5% population increase

12. Counted In 2008
2,144 households accessing homeless services
– 84% for more than six months
– 70% accommodated in Dublin city centre
– Most require some level of housing support to
maintain housing
• Recent Dublin City ‘Rooflessness’ Count
estimated a minimum of 98 people

13. Length of Time Homeless (Counted In, 2008)
Less than six months 16%
Six months - three years 38%
Over three years 46%

14. Minimum of 110 people reported as
‘roofless’
…decrease of 41% compared to 185 people in
2005
…5% of households in homeless services
reported as roofless compared to 9% in 2005
…significant increase in number and proportion
of non-Irish, from 9% in 2005 to 38% in 2008

15. 95% of adults in homeless services
are in accommodation.
Long-Term Supported
Transitional Housing
Accommodation 14%
17%
Private Emergency
Accommodation Rough Sleeping
33% 5%
Emergency
Other
Accommodation
6%
26%

16. In Conclusion
No significant change in the number of
people in homeless services (although nearly
half of residents are new since 2005)
Significant decrease in rooflessness (but
increase in non-Irish sleeping rough)
A minimum of 942 households are long-term
residents of emergency accommodation

17. Review of Finance &Expenditure -
Budget 2008 @ circa €62.3 million
16%
8%
48%
28%
Emergency Transitional Long-Term Support Services

18. Review of Finance & Expenditure
• €227m expended between 2005 and 2008
• Over emphasis on ‘managing homelessness’ -
temporary soloutions
• Financial input not aligned to the agreed target &
supports the need for a change in policy and
practice! –
…a change in the way services are delivered to
‘prevent homelessness’, ‘support people should they
become homeless’, ‘support people in housing’…….

19. Evaluation of Homeless Services - Current Provision
• Emergency
• Outreach
• Long-term Supported Housing
• Transitional Housing
• Settlement
• Advice/ Info./ Food Services
• Detox/ Rehab
– Delivered by 45 Organisations (NGO and
Statutory)

20. Evaluation of Services 2008
– Too much movement between emergency services
– Need for centralised placement service for emergency
accommodation and one central outreach team
– Lack of move on to housing highlights the crucial need
for access to housing and to supports
– Need for supports delivered as a housing service to
people in mainstream housing
– Transitional programmes could be delivered as a
housing support to people in mainstream housing
– Localisation of services is problematic!

21. Emergency
Accommodation
NGO and DCC

22. Private Emergency
Accommodation

23. All Emergency
Accommodation

24. Transitional
Accommodation

25. Long-Term
Supported
Accommodation

26. All Homeless
Accommodation

27. We are moving to a…….
Pathway Model of Homeless
and Housing Support
Provision

28. Pathway Model
All services need to work together as part of a
system – co-ordinating assessments and referrals
to best meet service users’ needs.
Assessment of Need & Case Management is central
to this approach.
All residents in homeless services should have a
housing and support plan, to move them into
appropriate housing with whatever care and or
supports they need as soon as possible.

29. Real Opportunities
– Irish Government will maintain existing
resource in 2009 and has announced new
programme for housing support/ procurement
of social housing
– We can significantly increase ‘housing
capacity’ (target of 1,000 tenancies in 2009!)
• Housing Associations/ NGOs to play a stronger part
in offering long-term tenancies with housing
supports
– Strengthening and reform of Statutory role
(especially with regard to Prevention!!)
– Localisation of Services across Dublin City and
County

30. Thank You for Listening!
Further information available via
www.homelessagency.ie