Ms Niamh Randall:

We work with families who have experienced homelessness in six different settings, five in Dublin and one in Limerick. The key point is that many families are homeless due to affordability issues, particularly in the private rental sector. We also find that some families have additional needs. It is a smaller proportion of families, but we tend to work with those who have a larger number of more complex needs . We work with them to address those needs from a trauma-informed perspective. The hope is that the one experience of homelessness that these families have will be the only experience of homelessness they will have. We look at the issues that might have caused homelessness to occur in the first place, and then we support the families to move as quickly as possible out of emergency accommodation. Like everyone else in the sector, the challenge we are finding at the moment is access to homes. Previously, families would spend approximately six months in emergency accommodation. The timeframe in that regard is increasing. It is also important to have open-ended support for people who might need it.

We are hugely supportive of the Housing First model, which works very successfully internationally. It also works well for families in other settings. Considering that and ensuring that open-ended support is available is important. We want to ensure that people can sustain their tenancies in the longer term.