Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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In line with commitments made in both the Programme for Government and Housing for All, a national The Youth Homelessness Strategy was published in November 2022. The Strategy aims to help young people aged 18 – 24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It sets out 27 key actions to prevent youth homelessness; improve the experiences of young people accessing emergency accommodation; and assist young people in exiting homelessness.

The Strategy recognises that there are certain cohorts of young people who face additional challenges as a result of their background and/or day-to-day lives. These cohorts are particularly at risk of becoming homeless and are disproportionately represented in the young homeless population. Informed by research and recommendations received via consultations undertaken during the development of the Strategy, six vulnerable cohorts were identified and specific actions provided for each vulnerable cohort. Members of the LGBTI+ community are one of the six vulnerable cohorts.

The Strategy recognises that members of the LGBTI+ community may be disinclined to engage with homeless services out of fear that their identities will not be understood or respected. Action 19 outlines the need to offer LGBTI+ Youth Homelessness Training Workshops for service providers to ensure a better understanding of LGBTI+ issues and the various forms of discrimination.

To assist in ensuring that emergency accommodation can be a safe and inclusive environment for all; action 20 commits to developing privacy and safety strategies for young LGBTI+ people using emergency accommodation, informed directly by LGBTI+ youth, to be implemented by homeless service providers.

A Steering Group has been established under the auspices of the National Homeless Action Committee to drive the delivery of all actions within the Strategy and ensure that an integrated, whole-of-Government approach will be taken when implementing the Strategy’s actions. Actions 19 and 20 are, respectively, Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 actions. Progress on these actions will be advanced within these timeframes.

A copy of the Youth Homelessness Strategy 2023-2025 can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/69597-youth-homelessness-strategy/