COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 10, 2012

QUESTION NO. 14

QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

To ask the Manager for an up-to-date report on the implementation of the policy on homelessness in South Dublin County, and to include 1. the number of people seeking accommodation over the past eleven months, 2.  the numbers accommodated,  3. trends in demand, 4. the ability of this Council to respond in the light of the new arrangement,  and 5. to make a statement on the situation as addressed by this Council?

REPLY:

The vision contained in the Dublin Region Homeless Executive’s Homeless Strategy is the ending of long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough in Dublin. This vision is underpinned by three strategic aims:

- The prevention of homelessness.

- The provision of effective services in each of the 4 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 17th January 2011 the Homeless Persons Unit which was located in the City Centre and provided an assessment and placement service for the 4 Dublin Authorities on an agency basis was disbanded.  From that date on, all who are presenting as homeless call to the relevant local authority for assessment and placed in emergency accommodation, where appropriate, by that Council.  From within existing resources, South Dublin County Council established a Homeless Services Unit to specifically address the needs of persons presenting as homeless.

South Dublin County Council’s Homeless Assessment and Emergency Bed Placement Service provided emergency accommodation to 362 unique individuals / households during the period 1st January 2012 to 31st October 2012.  A centralized bed placement system (PASS) is utilized by the 4 Dublin Authorities to allocate an emergency bed placement.  In addition, South Dublin County Council’s Homeless Services Unit provides an information; advise and advocacy service for persons presenting homeless.  More recently, South Dublin County Council’s Homeless Services Unit provides an emergency bed placement support service (key-working) through the care and case management model to housing applicants awarded homeless priority.  This service assists service users through providing information and support regarding all housing options available; establishing links with relevant stakeholders such as Access Housing Unit, Voluntary Housing Bodies, Sophia Housing Association, Sonas Housing Association; Focus Ireland Tallaght Homeless Advice Unit and the various homeless services available throughout the Dublin region.

The majority of emergency accommodation available to South Dublin County Council’s homeless service users is located in the City Centre.  The Pathway to Home model provides for the establishment of localised Supported Temporary Accommodation (STA).  To this end, South Dublin County Council is at an advanced stage of providing such accommodation in partnership with a well established homeless voluntary body.

The following accommodation for homeless persons has been provided to date within South Dublin Council’s administrative area:

 a) Permanent & Semi-Permanent Accommodation

                                                                   

 

Location

 

 

Client Group

 

No. of Housing Units

 

 

No. of Beds

 

Housing Association

Kilcronan, Clondalkin

Women & families escaping domestic violence.

10

 

38

Sonas

 

Russell Square, Tallaght

Homeless persons with varying needs.

12

40

Sophia

 

Russell Square, Tallaght

Women & families escaping domestic violence.

5

16

Sonas

South Dublin County Council provides quarterly funding to each of the service providers towards the management and maintenance costs of the facilities.

(b) Emergency Accommodation

South Dublin County Council contributes 11.11% of the overall running cost of emergency accommodation sourced by Dublin City Council throughout the greater Dublin area and into which homeless applicants from South Dublin are placed following assessment by the Council’s Homeless Services Unit.  Included among this accommodation are the following units which have been sourced by Dublin City Council within South Dublin County Council’s administrative area but which are not exclusive to homeless applicants from the South Dublin County Council administrative area:

 Location                                        No. of Bed Spaces                                                                    

Brentwood House, Ballyboden           10

Rosebank, Ballyboden Road              18

 (C) Long Term Accommodation

The Council developed a project with Focus Ireland for the provision of 24 single person units at Deerpark Tallaght allocated primarily to those registered as homeless with the Council and the units have been fully allocated. The Action Plan on Homelessness provides for 10% of all Council lettings being made to homeless applicants. To 31st October 2012, 34 applicants with homeless priority have received either a Council or Voluntary Housing tenancy.  The Homeless Services Unit have supported an additional 36 applicants with homeless priority into private rented accommodation.  All homeless service users moving from emergency accommodation into long-term accommodation are offered visiting support through the SLI (Support to Live Independently) Service. 

(D ) Women’s Refuge

 A premises has been provided by the Council in Tallaght for use as a women’s refuge with capacity for six families to be accommodated at any one time and the service is managed by Saoirse Housing Association.  The refuge is fully operational since December 2006. 

Other Homeless Services

Outreach Worker

The Council has appointed an outreach worker whose work focuses on:

 

Homeless Prevention and Tenancy Sustainment Service 

In 2011, a Homeless Prevention and Tenancy Sustainment Service in partnership with Focus Ireland was established to provide visiting support to persons / families at risk of becoming homeless addressing the needs of existing tenants within the public, voluntary and private rented housing sectors who may be vulnerable to homelessness.

Support to Live Independently (SLI)

Since November 2010, South Dublin County Council in partnership with Dublin Simon Community offers visiting support to homeless service users moving from emergency accommodation into independent living in the community.

Tallaght Homeless Advice Unit – Focus Ireland

The Council provides funding on a quarterly basis towards the provision of the homeless advice and information service operated by Tallaght Homeless Advice Unit.