Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

473. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to establish a service to cater for homeless persons who present themselves, which would be more holistic than requesting that tenants self-source a private rented tenancy; his plans to implement a tenancy sustainment support service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7662/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities.

Housing authorities oversee and fund a range of homelessness prevention and tenancy sustainment initiatives. In relation to accommodation provision, this can include accommodation both from within its own housing stock and also from the private rented market. In relation to the latter, this can be sourced by either the housing authority or the client so that the client can bring to the attention of the housing authority a property which is available for their purposes. Tenancy sustainment initiatives in place include the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework operated by the Department of Social Protection for Rent Supplement clients, the Tenancy Sustainment Protocol operated by Threshold in conjunction with the relevant housing authority and the Department of Social Protection (which is being extended to Kildare, Meath and Wicklow with effect from 25 April) and the Family Support Service operated by Focus Ireland which has tenancy sustainment as its specific aim.