Figures ‘omit’ 100 homeless people

ABOUT 100 people sleeping rough may not be accounted for in government statistics because of a “new way of counting people”.

Sources within the homeless services say that because of health and safety issues, workers are not allowed to go down alleyways, or into parks, to count how many people are sleeping rough.

According to volunteers who operate a soup run, there are as many as 100 rough sleepers in Dublin on a given night who are not included in official statistics.

Meanwhile, the Homeless Agency Partnership, the body responsible for homeless services in Dublin, is in the process of decommissioning unsuitable emergency and transitional beds.

The aim of the agency’s Pathway to Home strategy is to end long-term homelessness and the need for people to sleep rough in Dublin by the year's end. There are about 1,000 beds in emergency hostels, B&Bs and shelters in the city which will be replaced with new types of accommodation.

Though they are not yet ready for occupation, the agency said more than 700 new tenancies have been identified, and 200 emergency beds will come on stream. Yesterday, Minister for Housing Michael Finneran announced €20 million in capital funding to help local authorities secure additional accommodation.

But although a commitment has been given that emergency beds will not be closed until replacements are secured, concerns are being raised this is not happening. Salvation Army centre, Cedar House was due to close this month, but was given a reprieve until September after it emerged that replacement services were not in place.

In what was seen as an embarrassing development for the Homeless Agency, Dublin City councillors demanded Cedar House remain open until alternative and adequate housing alternatives were found.

Sources have indicated that workers on the ground lack confidence in the Government’s strategy, and fear that people who do not fit into certain boxes will fall through the cracks.

“Policies do not turn into services. We are turning people away every night. There is no where for them to go. I hope they can eliminate rough sleeping by the end of the year but no European country has managed it yet,” said a shelter manager.