Mr. Declan Dunne:

The Dublin Homeless Network comprises 16 organisations which provide services for homeless and socially excluded households. Many of our members are well known; others, less so. The network provides the full range of specialist services, supports and accommodation types in Dublin, while several member organisations provide services around the country. The network works closely with the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, which has one operational plan covering the four local authority areas of Dublin. We four representatives here sit on the statutory Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum and Management Group, as well as the implementation advisory group in the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.

The committee is well aware that by any measure Ireland’s housing and homeless situation has reached crisis point. The homeless crisis affects the entire country and is acute in Dublin. Housing supply is significantly below housing need. The private rented sector has contracted at a time when demand has surged forward, with a consequent increases in rents. People who were never homeless must now live with their families in hotels. We will never have a truly thriving economy without a functioning housing market.

Homelessness in Dublin falls into two clear parts.

The first consists of the new homeless who, tragically, find themselves living with their children in hotel rooms and individuals living in temporary emergency accommodation. Often these people are working and, generally, have no previous experience of the factors traditionally leading to homelessness. Many of the new homeless have the skills to live independently and are now homeless principally due to housing affordability reasons. With support, affordable housing and a properly functioning social housing regime and private rented market, we believe they can live independently again. If they access the homes they need, the level of specialist support from our type of organisations should be limited.

The second category consists of those individuals and households whose life experiences often put them on a trajectory that includes homelessness. Homelessness is symptomatic of other life events resulting in complex needs. All of us, including our family members, friends or neighbours, at some time in our lives can experience factors that can lead to homelessness. The members of the Dublin Homeless Network are committed to respecting the dignity of every individual and working to support those with complex needs. Many of those who are homeless have come from a background of grinding poverty and chaotic home lives. Often they have been taken into the care of the State as children. Many have been victims of violence and domestic abuse, some are caught in a trap of substance addiction, many have a poor experience of the education system and lack the marketable skills to provide for themselves and others have mental and physical disabilities.

Much of the work of the 16 homeless organisations that make up the network involves the professional delivery of care and structured support using needs analysis, agreed care plans and case working for people with complex needs affected by or at risk of homelessness. This helps those people, most of whom have dual diagnoses, to access and engage successfully with external specialist medical services. We are focused on empowering people to provide the varying level of supports they need so that they can go on to live independently. We support the comprehensive development in Ireland of the Housing First model of accommodation with wraparound supports in a way that has been proven internationally to address the complex needs of homelessness successfully.

Our submission identifies many detailed factors relating to homelessness and specific recommendations under four categories. These are prevention, which involves ceasing the flow into homelessness; emergency accommodation; access to housing; and keeping people who move out of homelessness in housing. I will hand over to Mr. David Carroll, who is our vice chair and who will briefly take the committee through our recommendations.