Homeless funding cuts shortsighted

Focus Ireland agrees with the grave concerns of Dick Brady, assistant city Manager of Dublin City Council, over the impact of cuts to homeless funding of 5% to 10% as reported in Jennifer Hough’s article of Feb 20.

The cuts were implemented in 2011 and the article reports they are expected to apply again this year at the very time demand for services is rising and more people are at risk of losing their home.

The biggest obstacle to ending long-term homelessness is that too few homes are being provided for people who are homeless. Service providers and local authorities have worked together to restructure services from a situation where homelessness was managed to one where they directly support people who are homeless to move into a home. Partnership between different organisations has been a key to this restructuring.