COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, December 08, 2014
QUESTION NO. 20
QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell
To ask the Chief Executive for a report on the specific supports for Homeless Persons and Families provided either directly or indirectly by this Council and to include in the report the numbers catered for over the past eleven months, what current plans are in place to provide additional services and to make a statement on the matter?
REPLY:
Homeless Services for Dublin are delivered on a regional basis and are funded through DECLG, HSE and the four Local Authorities.
South Dublin County Council’s 2015 Annual Service Plan for Housing Services will provide for
- Provision of Assessment & Placement Service
- Outreach Worker
- Contribution towards provision of emergency accommodation – Supported Temporary Accommodation (STA), Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEA), Long-term Supported Housing (LTSH); Private Emergency Accommodation (B&B / Hotel Accommodation) and Saoirse Women’s Refuge.
- Contribution towards support services such as Focus Ireland Tallaght, Homeless Advice Unit, Focus Ireland Tenancy Sustainment Service; SLI Visiting Support Service through Dublin Simon, Focus Ireland New Presenters Support Service; Focus Ireland Homeless Action Team, Housing First Intake Team and Housing First Visiting Support Team
As at the end of October, 2014 the Assessment and Placement service provided this Council has had 1779 unique Individual/Family presentations.
The homeless service offers the following
- Advice/Assessment
- Bed Placement
- Completion of Housing Needs Assessment
- Sign up for Social Housing
- Sli Service - which aids the establishment and maintenance of a tenancy once signed for over a period of time in accordance of need
- Provides an outreach service including prison visits
- Weekly clinic in CARP
In addition the annual Cold Weather Initiative has been in place since 1st November 2014 and it will run until the end of March 2014. It provides an emergency humanitarian response to the needs of persons who may be sleeping rough during cold weather. It provides dedicated additional beds to the existing number of beds available on a nightly basis in the Dublin region.
The Initiative aims to support individuals, who may not access the current range of services including persons who tend not to engage with homeless accommodation providers or day services or persons who may be ineligible in terms of social welfare benefits and find themselves in very vulnerable situations without accommodation.
There are up to 150 additional beds provided during the 5 months of this service on a regional basis.
The Council had a supported temporary accommodation facility in the Tallaght area for people sleeping rough in South Dublin. It caters for 21 individuals at any one time. In an effort to increase the number of beds available for those sleeping rough the Council has recently made 4 x 2 bed apartments available as move on for those in the facility who are considered capable of independent living. It is envisaged that these units will cater for 8 persons to move on and live independently with supports
The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive has introduced a new on-street service, which combines street outreach and Housing First has been in place since October 1st 2014. The service provides two teams:
Intake Team - If a person is sleeping rough and needs accommodation and support or if they are interested in referring to Housing First
Intensive Case Management (ICM) Team – If a person is already a Housing First tenant
Housing First focuses on providing long-term tenancies for those who have been long-term rough sleeping with the provision of time unlimited wrap around support services to assist them in maintaining their tenancy. This service has been contacted and is now working with the rough sleepers in the County. In addition discussions are ongoing with Focus Ireland who provide a drop in and advice centre in Tallaght to extend their service to provide additional hot drinks and sandwiches.