HSE accused of hampering the war on homelessness

HOMELESSNESS campaigners have accused the Health Service Executive of standing in the way of efforts to end rough sleeping by the end of the decade.

Yesterday, the Simon Community and the Peter McVerry Trust complained the HSE had frozen funding to the sector at 2007 levels.

They also said that, by deciding not to fund new projects, the HSE was failing to fulfil its obligations under a two-year-old strategy to end homelessness — the plan is called Key to the Door.

Chief executive of the Simon Community Sam McGuinness said when Key to the Door was launched various agencies committed to ending rough sleeping by 2010.

He said, despite the HSE having an important role in making sure these targets are met, its budget restrictions were delaying progress.

“We are now in the second year of the plan that would seek to eliminate all long-term homelessness by 2010. It is very clear now that one of the critical constituent parts has said it cannot deliver. It appears that when the HSE was completing its budget plans in 2007 they forgot about some projects already in the pipeline.”

Fr Peter McVerry criticised the HSE. He said by failing to raise funding to the non-governmental sector in line with inflation it was effectively forcing services to make cutbacks.

Last night the HSE defended its position and said it was playing its part in the Homelessness Strategy.