COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 14, 2009

QUESTION NO. 22

QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

To ask the Manager for a report on the work of this Council to date in addressing Homelessness and to include in the answer how this County plans to meet the National Objectives in alleviating this very human and pressing issue?

REPLY:

For 2009 South Dublin County Council has provided accommodation to 29 homeless applicants with a further 5 being awarded priority and will be accommodated shortly.  There are, at present, 61 applicants on the Council's Homeless Register, of those 41 are in Transitional Housing, 19 are in hostel/B&B accommodation and 1 is from hospital.

The vision contained in the Homeless Agency's Action Plan 2007-2010 is the ending of long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough in Dublin by the end of 2010.This vision is underpinned by three strategic aims:

-The prevention of homelessness.

-The provision of effective services in each of the four Dublin local authority areas.

-The provision of sufficient long term housing with appropriate supports as required.

In conjunction with the implementation of the Homeless Strategy, Pathway to Home, from the 1st April 2010 the Homeless Persons Unit which is located in the City Centre and provides an assessment and placement service to the 4 Dublin Authorities on an agency basis will be disbanded.  From that date on all who are presenting as homeless will have to call to the relevant Council and will be assessed and placed by that Council.    South Dublin County Council has begun the process of establishing a unit to specifically address the needs of homeless persons who present from that date.

While it is the intention that all emergency accommodation for homeless persons should be in their own County it is recognised that this is not possible in the short term and the existing emergency accommodation in use will continue for some time to allow an orderly withdrawal from it and its replacement in the other Counties. 

It is also the aim to ensue that emergency accommodation is returned to its original intention of being short term support for homeless and to this end to move all persons homed in such accommodation into mainstream housing within 6 months.  To enable this the DOEHLG have provided 2 targeted schemes to address the long term housing needs of people progressing from emergency to independent living.  These schemes are known as Support to Live Independently (SLI) and Homeless RAS initiative.

Both of these schemes envisage the procurement of accommodation largely in the private sector on a long term basis.  In the case of SLI accommodation with low to medium supports will be provided on a reducing basis for a period through a general support service which the DOEHLG and Homeless Agency are in the process of procuring.  RAS option will accommodate those who have little or no support requirements.   Tenants allocated housing under the schemes will be required to pay a rent based on the Differential Rent Scheme.

The DOEHLG have indicated that the funding of the strategy will come from the proceeds of savings on emergency accommodation which is currently being used as mainstream housing. 

The Council's Scheme of Letting Priorities sets out these the  for eligibility for housing based on homeless priority. It is not envisaged that these criteria will need to be amended at this time.  The receipt of applications for housing accommodation has significantly increased in 2009 and in line with current practice those applying for housing on the grounds of homelessness are placed on the Homeless Register for priority housing. They are not included on the Housing List as well. 

The Council is fully committed to implementation of the Homeless Strategy and will continue to develop the provision of local responses to meet the needs of  homeless applicants  within the Council's administrative area and is setting up a dedicated team from within existing resources.

This matter is on the agenda of the next Housing SPC meeting with a presentation by the Homeless Agency.