Funding for homelessness charities faces re-appraisal

GOVERNMENT funding for charities and voluntary bodies working with homeless people will be subject to a re-appraisal in the future, the director of the Homeless Agency has said.

Outlining details of the government’s bid to end homelessness by the end of the year, Cathal Morgan said government funders were “commencing a funding process” with service providers, and that HSE implementation teams would be established to assist.

The Homeless Agency is responsible for implementing the Government’s plan to re-configure homeless services in Dublin — called Pathway to Home.

Essentially, it involves moving people away from the city centre and out of the cycle of emergency accommodation and towards long-term housing and localised services.

Dublin City Council will provide the housing, and voluntary bodies will provide support and assist the person in accessing whatever services they may need.

Mr Morgan, interviewed in the Homeless Agency magazine CornerStone, said the greatest challenge for the agency was accessing housing.

“The process of changing how services will be delivered to people who are homeless in Dublin has been a challenging task and is wholly dependent on the provision of housing with particular regard to the attainment of 1200 housing units under the Department of the Environment enhanced social housing leasing arrangements.”

Mr Morgan said the four Dublin local authorities and approved housing bodies were combining their efforts to source suitable properties to be used as part of the new leasing arrangements.

He also outlined new services which are expected to come on stream, one of which is a homeless prevention service.

It is envisaged this day service will engage with and provide services to rough sleepers, a critical element of the 2010 vision to eliminate the need for people to sleep rough.

The Homeless Agency, which is in the process of decommissioning unsuitable emergency and transitional homeless beds re-iterated its pledge not to close services until there are alternatives in place.