COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 14, 2019

QUESTION NO. 2

QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney

To ask the Chief Executive to confirm the allocations policy for families presenting as homeless and in need of emergency accommodation including hubs; to ask if and when families are referred to appropriate other bodies to assist in the securing of HAP properties and to provide details of such; to ask for a report on the numbers of families and individuals presenting as homeless at present and during 2018 and 2017; and to make a statement on the matter. 

REPLY:

At the end of December, 2018 there were 628 housing applicants registered as homeless with the Council which included 298 families.

The Council's Allocations Scheme determines that priority be awarded to homeless persons, along with other specific categories of persons in need of housing.  Families and other applicants presenting as homeless, along with those applicants with other priority status, are provided with social homes where available and based on their respective times on list.

While waiting for availability of social homes, homeless families are supported by the Council's Homeless Unit provides assistance to those who find themselves homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This Unit operates an advice clinic in County Hall and provides outreach and place-finding services across the County as well as detailing emergency accommodation options including central placement, self-accommodate, family hubs and other supported accommodation.

Allocation of spaces in the Council's family hubs at Springfield, Tallaght Cross, Abberly/High Street and Firhouse is generally made on a time on list basis. Exceptions may be made where there are extenuating circumstances but generally families moving to hubs will have spent time in emergency, night-by-night accommodation and/or have been self-accommodating before moving into a family hub. Family hubs are considered part of the current response to homelessness by providing a progression from self-accommodation and emergency accommodation allowing those options to become available for other families who may become homeless.  Being accommodated in family hubs then provides families with some time to source more secure accommodation through Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) tenancies or social housing.  The sourcing of HAP for these families is now supported by the Council's two placefinders as well as key workers from Focus Ireland for those families in the High Street Hub (Abberly) and Tallaght Cross (managed by Tuath Housing). As families progress from family hubs to HAP or social housing, places in the hubs are then offered to other homeless families.

The place-finder roles within South Dublin County Council assist families and individuals either in temporary emergency accommodation or at risk of homelessness to find private rented accommodation using both Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the enhanced Homeless HAP as well as engaging with property agents to encourage use of HAP/Homeless HAP to provide the quickest exits from homelessness. 

Families placed in family hubs at Tallaght Cross, Abberley/High Street, Springfield and Firhouse also have access to key workers and support services to source HAP rentals and prepare residents for viewings as well as helping to address many other issues for those families.

There are currently a total of 299 families on the homeless list including the families currently in the family hubs. There are currently 121 families accommodated in the four family hubs operating in South Dublin.

As requested, the breakdown of applicants registered as homeless with the Council on a month-by-month basis for 2017 and 2018 is as follows:

Month Single (M) Single (F) Couples Families Total
Jan-17 192 48 2 195 437
Feb-17 193 46 2 206 447
Mar-17 201 51 2 205 459
Apr-17 202 52 2 213 469
May-17 204 54 4 199 461
Jun-17 181 46 7 182 416
Jul-17 207 47 10 198 462
Aug-17 210 50 11 194 465
Sep-17 207 48 11 181 447
Oct-17 203 47 10 199 459
Nov-17 221 48 10 187 466
Dec-17 223 53 10 189 475
Jan-18 224 53 10 201 488
Feb-18 229 48 10 228 515
Mar-18 222 48 11 269 550
Apr-18 279 67 11 296 653
May-18 259 60 8 300 627
Jun-18 242 59 6 294 601
Jul-18 251 63 7 297 618
Aug-18 260 61 9 310 640
Sep-18 255 59 7 300 621
Oct-18 255 55 5 305 620
Nov-18 258 60 5 299 622
Dec-18 262 62 6 298 628