Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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367. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the new national implementation plan for housing first will be published given that the current plan runs from 2018-2021; if increased targets will be put in place; if the associated funding for local authorities will be put in place; his plans to ensure the roll-out of housing first to each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12519/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies.

The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide this response, by delivering permanent housing solutions and associated supports for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. It extends the delivery of Housing First nationally, with the introduction of targets for each local authority. The Plan includes an overall target of 663 tenancies in the period 2018-2021. The implementation of the Plan is a joint initiative of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health, the HSE and the local authorities.

In line with the National Implementation Plan, Housing First is being delivered on a regional basis by the local authorities and the HSE. Contracts for the delivery of services have been put in place in each of the nine regions responsible for the delivery of homeless services with tenancies now in place in every region.

At the end of 2020, a total of 508 individuals were being housed under the Housing First programme including 392 individuals who have been housed since the publication of the National Implementation Plan. I look forward to the targets outlined in the National Implementation Plan being reached by the end of this year. I wrote to each local authority on 26 February to recognise the progress made on Housing First to date, to stress the importance that that national targets are met, and to confirm that the expansion of the programme from 2022 for the years ahead will be announced later this year.

The Programme for Government commits to the further expansion of Housing First. Research is currently being undertaken by the Housing Agency to carry out an assessment of need for the supports provided by Housing First. This will inform the expansion of the Programme which I expect to announce later this year, in advance of the expiration of the current National Implementation Plan.