COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Tuesday, May 07, 2019

QUESTION NO. 20

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report into Registered Homeless in Our county by year 2014 to 2019 and to comment how this will be addressed and the need for emergency accommodation be addressed going forward?

REPLY:

 The table below shows a breakdown of the numbers registered as homeless in South Dublin from the end of 2014 to date:

Date End 2014 End 2015 End 2016 End 2017 End 2018 March 2019
Total on homeless register 234 252 430 475 628 630

The Council continues to work to address the accommodation needs of those registered as homeless.

Persons presenting as homeless or at risk of homeless are assessed, given homeless status where appropriate and are eligible to apply for Housing Assistance Payment at the higher rate to support sourcing private rented accommodation assisted by the Council's place-finder team with emergency accommodation offered where necessary. 

There are four Supported Temporary Accommodation (STAs) facilities for single men in the County along with four family hubs.  Generally, families moving to hubs will have spent time in emergency night by night accommodation and hotels before being moved to a hub.  Family hubs are an important response for families who become homeless and who find themselves with no alternative other than commercial hotels, providing more secure and stable placement for families.  They are not the long term housing solution as it is intended that families will progress form hubs move into accommodation provided under social housing support. 

The Council employs two placefinders who work to source HAP supported accommodation for those in emergency accommodation. In addition, key workers from Focus Ireland work with families in the High Street Hub (Abberly) and Tallaght Cross (managed by Tuath Housing) and Respond staff work with residents in Springfield and Firhouse to assist them in their search for HAP properties.

The Council works on an ongoing basis with the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and Approved Housing Bodies to identify other potential facilities for use as STA’s or Family Hubs in the County to assist with our current responses to homelessness.