Sofa surfers must also be counted as homeless, say TDs

‘Councils operate two housing lists’

THE official definition of homelessness must be broadened to include sofa surfers and those living on the streets, a Dáil committee says.

TDs and senators want the current definition of homelessness in the Housing Act 1988 to be ‘expanded and then adopted by all authorities’.

The 30-year-old Act’s definition states someone may become homeless if there is no accommodation available that can be ‘reasonably occupied’. Being homeless is also defined as living in a hospital, county home, night shelter or other institution because there is nowhere else to go.

However, the European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS) method of housing assessment, for example, has a wider definition.

A spokesman for housing charity Threshold said: ‘ETHOS is a broad definition of homelessness and housing exclusion and includes households that are roofless, in insecure housing or sofa surfing. Policy plea: Maria Bailey

‘This approach should be used by all local authorities.’

A report by the Oireachtas housing committee singled out the chaotic social housing system that leads to confusion about where people are on the waiting list, and whether people in emergency situations should skip the queue.

It comes just months after Dublin City Council changed its policy of pushing registered homeless people up the waiting list for social housing.

The change was made after homeless families were accused of ‘gaming the sys- tem’ by staying in emergency accommodation in order to be pushed up the list.

The comments by Conor Skehan, then head of the Government’s Housing Agency, were met with fury by housing charities, which said families would not choose to live in hotels for months.

Despite the Dublin council’s policy change, other local authorities still prioritise those in emergency situations, said the Dáil committee.

Better communication between councils was also urged, as it should lead to more cooperation and less confusion over how to help those without a home.

Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey, who chairs the committee, demanded a change in the definition of homelessness and wants all councils to have the same policies.

‘The waiting list system is under significant pressure and is not operating as efficiently as it could be,’ she said.

There are 71,858 households registered for social housing.

Confusion over the definition of homelessness and what should be done to help those who find themselves with nowhere to live has led to problems with the system.

Ms Bailey said: ‘Lack of clarity around the allocation scheme and the influence of length of time spent on the housing list... have led to misunderstandings about how the system actually operates.’ When people become homeless, each local authority will respond differently and there is no clear understanding of what an ‘emergency situation’ is, the report found.

It added: ‘Some will house those who present as homeless immediately, ahead of the applicants who are already on the housing list. Others will source temporary accommodation for the household and then place them on a second, emergency housing list. The creation of an emergency list results in local authorities operating two housing lists, with priority unclear over who should be housed first.’

The report’s 13 recommendations included creating guidelines in order to better assess ‘need’ of housing.